Circus Baby's Pizza World 2
by Springtime Bonnie
Summary: Rebuilt. Enhanced. Upgraded. We brought joy to many, but that was long ago. Broken. Fractured. Damaged. In the end, we ended up where we came from. Take on the role of Marylin, an high school student ,who was dare to go to a forgotten place she never thought she would see again. What follows.. is a mystery.
1. Beginning of the End

Mary snatched the flyer off of the telephone pole.

"Grand opening of the family friendly burger restaurant! Join your old pals New Circus Baby, and her new friends New Ballora, Funtime Freddy and Funtime Foxy, all new and all redesigned! We hope you will join us at the new place..."

She didn't have to read any farther. She spun on her heel and marched towards the direction if the old restaurant.

When she entered, a frenzy of screaming kids stuffing their chubby faces with fries greeted her. Parents hung out in the new booths, chatting and laughing.

He made his way over to Mike, whom she hadn't seen in a while.

"What the hell! Why is this dump open again!" She hissed.

"I'm not talking to you Mary." He huffed, maneuvering around her, carrying a full tray.

"Mike.. This is important." She reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" He recoiled and it made Mary wince. "If you have a problem, take it up with my boss. I don't have time for this. Nice seeing you." he walked away and dropped the tray off at a nearby table. The screaming kids immediately pounced on it.

The room was over packed with joy screaming children. None of them noticed the toy-like clown animatronic with orange eyes walk up to the stage, a microphone in her hand.

"Everyone, Please stay in your Seat.", She said at the crowd of children.

That hooked them and everything stopped as kids started making their way toward their seats. After the Animatronic saw that everyone was seated she said in her happy tone voice.

"The Show will begin Momentarily."

They watched as she walked behind the curtains and two new animatronics popped on. A white and mauve bear wearing a black hat, a bowtie ,and a Toy Bonnie puppet on his hand followed by a ballerina with a red bowtie took the stage.

Curiosity gleaned in their eyes as they watched them move around, dancing before the bear Animatronic spoke.

"Hello kids! I'm Funtime Freddy! It's a pleasure to meet you!

The child cheered.

Funtime Freddy processed to look at the Toy Bonnie puppet on his hand and said, "Bon-Bon says hello to our friends!"

The puppet look at the children and smiled , waving her tiny hand at the cheering children's.

The ballerina Animatronic walk forward and said in a singsong voice.

"I'm New Ballora the Ballerina! Let's have a funtime!"

The uproar began once more as New Minireena, New BidyBab, and Funtime Foxy joined the stage. They sang and danced various types of song like "I Can't Fix You" and "Unfixable".

Standing near the wall was Marissa and her young daughter, both were looking at New Circus Baby as she made balloons for the children. Zoe was looked up to her mother and tug on her skirt. Marissa look at her.

"Mommy, Why won't you let me, Play with her ?" Zoe asked.

No words come from Marissa's mouth and she looked back at New Circus Baby as she gave them balloons.

"Mommy, just once let me go play with her...She's so pretty and shiny."

Once again Marissa ignored her.

It wasn't long until the children lost interest in Baby and began to walk away.

"Mommy, can I now go?" Zoe asked.

Marissa didn't respond and lead her of Birthday Auditorium, leaving Circus Baby alone. They didn't stop until they met up with a group of parents acknowledged Emil Macko and his wife Reese for the amazing animatronics.

"Mr. Macko! You certainly are a imaginative creator! these mascots of yours are a success with our children. They adored them . Especially that New version of Circus Baby the clown."

She glance up at her mother, she was sharing her ideas about the new animatronics. Zoe look at the door of Birthday Auditorium.

It was wide open.

She glance up at her mother, who was still talking to Reese.

She will not notice.

Silently walked towards the door. When she arrived, Zoe could see New Circus Baby Standing there.

"You're so perfect," Zoe said, "I don't know why Mommy let me see you."

Circus Baby didn't say anything to the girl, she was silent, but her eyes was blinking as they looked directly at her and that's when it happened. Baby's stomach opened, a small metallic hand, holding a ice cream with 2 ice cream scoop on it.

It all happened so quickly. Zoe's voice of cheerful was now a terrifying scream. Nobody was inside at the moment, everyone had gone outside to see the other Animatronics and the hallways was over packed with joyful screaming children.

It was a half and hours later, Marissa eyes were filled with worry as she looked around for Maddie.

She searched everywhere, there was only place left to look the Birthday Auditorium.

 **"MOMMY!" THERE'S BLOOOODDDD! WAHHH"**

Marissa turned around to see a young boy, tears on his cheeks as he ran towards his mother. Marissa told Emil to opened up Baby's suit. She know it would terrifying the children, but she had to see what this red substance was.

There was a clicked and her suit opened up.

The small, limp ,and bloody crushed body fell onto Marissa's lap the minute the suit opened. Everything was tuned out, all Marissa could focus on was her lifeless daughter's body.

Zoe's eyes was the first thing, Marissa saw the day when she was born, looking up at her when the nurse handed her to her, congratulating her.

Reese ran off to call from a ambulance, leaving Marissa crying over her daughter's body


	2. The First Night

I opened my eyes and looked around the room. It was dark. Darker than it had ever been before. The only light I could see was coming from my cellphone It said it was 12. I think it was AM, but I can never remember if midnight is AM or PM. Well, I think it's midnight out, anyway.

I had to stay in this abandoned factory, because of a dare. Suddenly, I heard a noise! I quickly grabbed my phone and watch the monitor; my heart began beating faster as I heard something coming! I knew if I stayed here for too long, though, they would get me...whoever they were.

Marylin had her eyes on the monitor as she pulled her phone out to find a text.

It was My Dad.

''Daddy?'' Marylin was surprised that her dad texted him this late or early. She read the text.

 **''How's the sleepover?''**

Marylin replied.

 **''Fine**.''

Marylin still had her eye on the monitor, she was switching cameras to find Circus Baby gone from their position and found BidyBab on her stomach in the ''CAM 014'' and Circus Baby was closer, in CAM 016 giving a singing like pose.

''She's getting close.'' Marylin said as she look back at her phone.

 **''Are you really serious about staying the entire week at Jenessa's House?''**

Marylin replied back.

 **''Yeah, not bad we have week worth of pizza, movies and ice cream.''**

Marylin looked at the cameras to find Circus Baby gone and she heard footsteps outside, she looked to only find Circus Baby nowhere at all. BidyBab was near getting to CAM 015. To be sure, she use her phone camera to see in front of her and there Circus Baby was.

Circus Baby was smirking, giving Marylin her best terrifying face with her faceplate open . Baby found her frozen and thought this was the chance.

''I knew you'll see my way.'' She giggled, about to make her way into the office.

*RING*

Marylin open the monitor panel and started ranging the phone in CAM 011, Circus Baby following her program went towards the ranging, she gasped, when she found no one, Marylin giving a cocky smile.

''That's what you get.'' She said, Circus Baby was mad as she pounded on the wall. Circus Baby stepped back before hearing the phone rang again ,but this time slipping hitting her head against the hard wall and breaking her already broke right arm and pieces of her mask.

''Ouch!'' She cried.

Marylin ignored her until she heard her cried.

''That hurt.'' Whimpered Circus Baby as she walked away.

Marylin felt sad but she knew it was 5:30, he had no choice.

 **-Time Pass-**

It was not much of a challenge anymore to Marylin, she still had at least had %10, it was easy to memorized the patterns Circus Baby and BidyBab are trying to go with but it was too predictable.

Leaning back on her chair with a small smile.

''Too easy, might as well break it up to them.'' Marylin said before she felt something like liquidity dropped on his shoulder.

''The fuck?'' She felt another drop on his hand, a few more drops on his hand directly. She looked up to find the vent still sealed up and there was water coming out of there.

''A leak?'' The weird thing about it that it smelled odd, nothing like water at all, rather sweet like honey.

Making a decision to check what is inside the vent, after checking the cameras with all animatronics away from her, Marylin got her phone and unsealed the vents.

She took a deep breathe, poking her head inside, within a heartbeat, she flashed the light.

There was nothing.

Sighing, seeing this as a waste of time, all there was even to see was the ''water'' looked like it was spilled, Circus Baby might be trying to mess with him.

Even admits the taste of the ''water'' taste sweet. That was a mistake.

* * *

 **5:56**

''HAHA! FUCK YOU!'' Giving the bird to Circus Baby and BidyBab who tried to confused me which ended with both of them trying to go from the same room. They didn't seemed to enjoy at my outburst but walked away.

I was safe, a few minutes before this shift is over and I'm sweet home baby. Sipping my coke and giving a proud look.

 **All of the sudden, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid's theme song started to play signify the End of the Night.**

It was 6:00.

Thank you, finally freedom.

That was ruined by the demonic voice of Circus Baby.

''You think you win, well doesn't I know about your bet with your friends, My Friend Ballora want to play with you tomorrow night, if do not show up, I will hunt you down and make your death slow and painful. Do you got that?''

''But, but?''

''DO YOU GOT THAT''

''Yes'' I cried out, the dark feeling of lava being injected into my veins.

''Good.'' I turned around in fear to find Circus Baby gone and ran to grabbed my backpack, walking fast out to the main room. It was a interesting night, might as well come back for another night, or Jenessa and my friends will make fun of me tomorrow.

I could feel someone watching me from inside the building.

* * *

 **Withered New Ballora's POV**

"Ballora, I will be helping you out tomorrow night, and remember what my sister say!" New Circus Baby's said to the broken ballerina.

"Yeah Yeah, don't kill her or I will be scrap for parts just like my daughters: Mini and Reena.


	3. Dancing with a Ballerina

I was switching cameras until I find BidyBab on her stomach in the ''CAM 014'' and Circus Baby was closer, in CAM 016 giving a singing like pose.

''Circus Baby getting close.'' Marylin said as she look back at her phone, but gasped when she heard ballerina music and a familiar voice to her left.

"AllI do is dance alone,

But now I hear your flesh and bone.

I roam these halls alone all day,

But now you're here, friend and prey."

It was New Ballora.

"What the-" Marylin quickly shone the camera light and what she saw made her heart pounding in her chest so hard she feared it might tear itself out.

"What's going on? How's Ballora here?"

Without hesitation, Marylin activated the phone in CAM 011 ,and the music started to faded.

Marylin open the monitor panel and started ranging the phone in CAM 011, Circus Baby and BidyBab following their program went towards the ranging, Circus Baby gasped, when she found BidyBab, Marylin giving a cocky smile.

Circus Baby was mad as she pounded on the wall.

Marylin was flipping through the Cameras. Ballora was standing right outside CAM 015's door. I sat the tablet down, and check the hallway. There was nothing there.

I sat back down, and picked the tablet back up. BidyBab was banging on the vent ,but that didn't matter, since I ring the phone, scaring her away.

"I'm going to find a way inside!"

Marylin guessed that Ballora in the hallway. I couldn't really tell since I could only hear audio from that particular cam. I jumped when I heard a deep voice that sounded like it was laughing. I checked up on CAM 012, before flipping to CAM 010.

Circus Baby wasn't there.

Then, all of a sudden, a phantom-like Minireena climbed up onto her and onto her face.

"What the - mrrp! Get off!" Marylin struggled to pull the thing off her face, but it clung on tight and just giggled, its head bobbing up and down like a bobblehead. Trying to ignore it, he lifted the monitor, and curiously, the Minireena retreated.

"Huh-?" said Marylin in surprise. She lowered the monitor, and the Minireena clung on again. "-shoot. Never mind, thought you had taken the hint and beat it..."

Marylin heard the music to her left, and quickly she turned to the left and pressed the CAM 015's phone, and after a few moments, the music faded. Marylin opened the door again, and right as she did, a second Minireena sprang onto her face.

"GAAAAHHH!" Marylin screamed, flailing around.

The Minireenas both giggled.

A third then jumped on her.

"Get off me!" Marylin yelled, lifting the monitor. She saw the other Minireenas tampering with the oxygen tank, and gave them a controlled shock, making them vanish again and saw BidyBab with her faceplate open banging on the vent.

When she lowered the monitor, she heard Circus Baby's voice in front of her, but with all the Minireenas on her face, it was difficult to see. She tried to peer through their limbs and saw the CAM 014's Phone calls button. She pressed it, and the phone ringing.

"Oh, my God..." Marylin panted. "Please, turn to 6, turn to 6..."

She heard the music to her right, and she quickly turned, but another Minireena appeared on her face, obscuring more of her view. She tried desperately to see around the giggling Minireenas.

"No, no, no, please..."

Suddenly, the Minireenas hopped off Marylin's face. Confused, she looked at the clock.

It read 6 am.

"YES!" Marylin cheered, pumping both fists in the air. "I DID IT!" She got out of her chair and left the factory.

Before she closed the door, she heard a mysterious voice speak to her from the shadows.

''Every artistic person needs a sanctuary. William Afton has his and I have mine. To enter, you need only know my favorite song:''

''Sing my song and my sanctuary will open to you.''


	4. The Prison Meeting

I sat in the seat and thanked the guard. I then looked at the man in front of me. The only thing separating us was a plane of glass and a telephone. He had a short head of jet-black hair, large-lensed glasses. His face was blank, as if he didn't want to see me, which is entirely plausible.

He picked up his phone, and I picked up mine.

 _"Who are you?"_ He asked while making eye contact with me in a creepy fashion.

"My name is Marilyn Schmidt," I replied. "I have been spending the night at Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental."

 _"Is that so? And why on Earth would you be doing such a thing?"_

"Well, my friends dare me to spend five nights at the factory."

That certainly piqued his interest; one of his eyebrows rose.

 _"I see...so why would you be visiting me?"_

"Well, shouldn't it be obvious? I did my research and discovered you were arrested on June 26th, 1997 for the disappearances, of five children that went missing that year because of a animatronic named "New" Circus Baby."

 _"So?"_

"So, I'm curious as to why you did it."

 _Who says I did it?"_

"Well, you were ARRESTED after VIDEO EVIDENCE showed YOU entering the back room with the children!"

 _"So? Nobody has a video of me committing any murders."_

"Look, just...you know the franchise on a personal level, so I was wondering if you could clarify a few things with me."

 _"...fine. I guess I got nothing to lose."_

"So, I did a bit more research, My friend, Jenessa, and I discovered you were actually the owner of Circus Baby's Pizza World in 2012, where your daughter was killed by one of your animatronics named Circus Baby."

"Well, we happen to know better; we've seen her daughter's death for ourselves."

He just stared at me with an angry expression. He then muttered something under his breath as he looked down. I think I could hear him say '' _Bendy''...whoever_ that is.

 _"Alright,"_ he finally replied. _"But what does this have to do with anything?"_

"Well, I then discovered you also worked at the Circus Baby's Pizza World location in 2028 as a waiter."

 _"Again, what does-"_

"That year, the place closed because five children was killed by animatronic named New Ballora."

He stared at me again. He didn't look too happy.

"You would've been around your mid-thirties at that time," I continued. "So it's not like you were too young to remember that."

 _"You really aren't answering the question of what this has to do with anything."_

"Actually, I think I am. In 2012, you created an establishment where your daughter was kill on June 26th. Then, 16 years later, TO THE DAY, you were arrested for the case of 5 more missing children."

 _"So, what? You think I was responsible for the disappearances in 2028?"_

"I'm not saying that. But I'm sure you know SOMETHING."

He shrugged.

 _"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. What's it to you?"_

"Well, some strange things happen been having at the factory, so I need as much info as possible."

He just stared at me again. We were both silent for a while, waiting for one of us to speak.

 _"I will say this,"_ he finally told me. _"I didn't do anything to any children in 2028. I give you my word on that."_

"Do you know anything about who did it?"

 _"...I do."_

"Who was it?"

He then chuckled.

 _"I ain't spilling the beans on his name...not that it matters."_

"I don't care about the name. I just want to know what his role was. Was he a waiter, too? A mechanic? A guard?"

 _"Heh. He was a bit of everything. One of the greatest employees in company history."_

"Oh, really?"

 _"There's not a job that man couldn't do, although he did prefer working as a performer."_

"You mean, like being with children?"

 _"Heh heh. You got it."_

"Jesus, he must be a sicko..."

 _"That he was."_

"I noticed you keep referring to him in the past tense. Why is that?"

 _"Why do you think?"_

"...oh. So, he's..."

 _"Yup. Burning in a deep level of Hell."_

"How did he die?"

 _"Well, now that's a company secret."_

"Come on. What's the harm of telling me?"

 _"Only the fact that all employees were sworn into never telling a soul. Ever."_

"What could possibly require that much secrecy?"

 _"Well, only the few remaining workers at Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rentals at the time will ever know."_

"...you're really not going to tell me?"

 _"Even if I wasn't sworn to secrecy, I don't see a point in informing you what happened."_

"Fine. I suppose that's fair."

 _"Now, I suppose if there's no other business..."_

"So, from what I've gathered, the one responsible for the missing children in 2028 was an employee who did a little bit of everything, yet preferred being with the kids? And on top of that, he died in a way that caused the entire company to be sworn to secrecy about what happened?"

 _"Pretty much."_

"...I see. Thank you for your time, Mr. Afton."

 _"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Schmidt."_

I don't have the best memory in the world, but that visit with William Afton stuck with me, even though it was over a month ago.

Now, as I sit here, thinking about that conversation, I wonder just how relevant it could be to our current situation. The Animatronics, that mysterious voice...I'm not sure how it's connected. I'm not even sure that it is...maybe I'm just getting paranoid.

* * *

 **AN**

 **Thank you for reading. Feedback is appreciated. Feel free to message me any questions or concerns.**

 **Ch 8- Cutscene: Love & Peace for the Winner Part 2!**

 **Ch 9- The Moving Picture**

 **Ch 10- Cutscene: To the Max! Dead or Alive!**

 **Till Next Time!**


	5. Chapter 1- The Moving Picture

I was switching cameras until I find BidyBab and New Circus Baby on their stomach in the ''CAM 013'' and New Ballora was closer, in CAM 016 giving a singing like pose.

''Ballora getting close.'' Marylin said as she look back at her phone, but gasped when she heard a running and a familiar voice to her right.

"It may only be my second month working for William Afton, but I can already tell I'm going to love it here!''

''People really seem to enjoy my Lolbit's voice. Michael says she may be as popular as Circus Baby some day.''

Susie Campbell and I, we are going places."

It was Funtime Foxy.

"What the-" Marylin quickly shone the camera light and what she saw made her heart pounding in her chest so hard she feared it might tear itself out. A breakdown, damaged fox with part of her body missing.

"What's going on? How's Funtime Foxy here?"

Without hesitation, Marylin activated the phone in CAM 011 ,and the music started to faded.

Marylin was flipping through the Cameras. Ballora and Funtime Foxy was standing right outside CAM 015's door. I sat the tablet down, and check the hallway. There was nothing there.

I sat back down, and picked the tablet back up. BidyBab was banging on the vent ,but that didn't matter, since I ring the phone, scaring her away.

"I'm going to find a way inside!"

Marylin guessed that Funtime Foxy in the hallway. I couldn't really tell since I could only hear audio from that particular cam. I jumped when I heard a deep voice that sounded like it was laughing. I checked up on CAM 012, before flipping to CAM 010.

Funtime Foxy or Circus Baby wasn't there. Marylin continued with her normal routine of checking the camera light, and checking the vents. Suddenly, all the monitor and cameras went out.

The power must've gone out. I thought that couldn't happen. Only our flashlight can run out of power. They must've cut the power. Someone needs to go and fix it.

Susan walked into the main hallway, slowly looking out for the animatronics. He snuck and weaved past the different killer characters wandering the factory.

So this is where the main power is." I slowed down my sprint, and walked into the large room. A large black pipe, most likely filled with ink, was on either side of a huge flip switch. A glowing " **low pressure** " sign was beside it, indicating how long it had been since anyone had turned it on. "Alright, how do I get this to work?"

So we have these random six pedestals in here, three on either side. That should mean something, right? There's three pictures on each side behind the stands, ranging from a gear to the plush doll I was currently carrying. "Are these the offerings William talked about?" When he said that the workers had to give supplies from their work space, this wasn't exactly what I imagined. I don't know, maybe some sketch or something?

"Well I already have you," I grinned at the Circus Baby toy, nuzzling its face. "But I'll bring you back once I found everything else." I walked out of the room with my heart set on finding the items. But, deep down, I knew it would take a while for me to fully relax. Freddy… how could I just shake off the image of his mutilated corpse strapped to that table? "It's okay, Marylin," I reminded myself, taking a deep breathe to calm down. "The longer you're in here, the more answers you're sure to-ahh!"

Right at the corner where I had come in, stood a New Circus Baby standee. The cutout's large green eyes stared emptily back at me, with her large toothy grin. "Who the heck put you here?" Cautiously, I inched towards Circus Baby, and placed a hand on her cheek. "Hehe… you, uh, aren't following me around, are you, Circus Baby?"

All I got was silence. Oddly, I hoped I would've heard something. I can only talk so much to myself before I start to lose it. I mean, right now I'm narrating everything out in my head to some invisible audience. How crazy is that!?

I smiled at the cutout, and patted his head like I did to the one earlier. "Oh well. I'm sure you have your reasons. See ya around, Baby." Stepping around him, I headed back the way I came, and found the second item on my mental list.

" **The Illusion of Living by William Afton**." I raised an eyebrow, and picked up the black covered book. The papers smelled of dust, reminding me of an old library. Any hope to read the contents was banished though, as the book had a small lock attached to it, keeping the contents hidden from prying eyes. _Really thought of everything, didn't you William?_

I continued down the path, and stopped at the two doors off to the side that I had ignored on my way past earlier. "A cassette tape?" I wondered. Reaching up, I hit the play button. To my delight, the antique worked, and the small area was soon filled with a recording from one of the old workers.

" **At this point, I don't get what William's plan is for this company. The animations sure aren't being finished on time anymore. And I certainly don't see why we need this… machine. It's noisy, and it's messy.**

 **Also, get this. William had each one of us donate something from our work station. We pit them on these little pedestals in the break room. To help appease the gods, William says. Keep things going.**

 **I think he's lost his mind, but, hey, he writes the checks.**

 **But I tell you what, if one more of these pipes burst, I'm** **OUTTA HERE** **."**

 _Kellen Goff,_ I concluded. Dad had told me about each of the workers at Circus Baby's Entertainment. He was a pretty nice guy, but it was like he had said; the pipes all around the studio did freak out a fair share of the employees. You know, if my boss had told me to sacrifice miscellaneous desk objects to appease higher powers, I might have a few more questions than 'if another pipe bursts'.

"Walking through an abandoned factory," I sang as I waltzed back towards the beginning of the building. "Doo doo doo, we're all gonna die." I froze in the middle of my little song, and saw a small light shine out from underneath a door on the right. "What the..." I crept closer, and as soon as it appeared, the light vanished. "Okay then. That's… a little creepy." Twisting the knob in my hand, I opened the door. "This is it?"

It wasn't much. A few cans of Circus Baby's soup that I remembered dad had mentioned briefly. It was some sort of promotional thing they had tried out in the past… it didn't work out. Circus Baby's soup. Not as tasty as you might think. "An old timey radio," I smiled. The small machine was set up on a drawing desk, and I could see it was still plugged into the wall. "I wonder if it still works."

I turned the knob on the left, and suddenly, the room was filled with a jaunty tune. The sound of a ragtime piano had me grinning ear to ear. "Not a bad song," I noted. "Wonder if I can find it online when I get out."

I passed back through the " **dreams come true** " room, and picked up a record disk behind a fallen board. "Three down, three to go." Now where could the rest be. I didn't check out all the smaller hallways in the large room, so maybe there's something hidden there.

I exited the corridor, and walked around until stumbling on a small wing that led to another artist's table. A wrench laid down among the mess of papers on the floor, and at the feet of another Circus Baby. I picked it up, and slid it into the pocket of my vest, and gave a grin at the Clown. "Why thank you, kind madam!"

Laughing to myself, I headed back to the Scooping room. "Now what could we find in here?" The floorboards creaked under my weight as I shuffled through the drawers on the cabinets, only to come up with nothing. Shutting them roughly, I looked around the room in annoyance. _There's got to be something in here. Think girl. Everything else so far has been hiding in corners, so maybe…_ I went into the back of the Scooper machine, and clapped in satisfaction when I found a cog leaning against the wall.

"Genius is happening, people!" I exclaimed, tucking it under my arm with the book and record. "Now let's see. I've got the doll, the book, the record, the wrench, and the cog. What else is there…?" Meh, I'll figure it out when I see it.

 _I've checked all of the rooms so far. Well… the important rooms at least. The only one I have yet to go to is… Freddy' room._ I did not want to return there. The idea that William might've done that; to bring a animatronic bear to life, only to dissect him apart for his own disgusting needs. Good thing I had a fairly strong stomach, or I would've lost my lunch I ate from before I came here. To the building, I mean.

"You… you can do this, Marylin," I encouraged my shaking self. "It's-it's not like anyone can hurt you here. You're okay. You're-you're okay."

Small clouds of dust drifted up around my shoes as I made my way to the room, holding the Circus Baby plush tightly to my chest. _Please, don't let it be any worse than before-and the cutout is gone._

I don't get it. I was absolutely certain there was no one else in here with me. So… who moved Circus Baby? And… how did he get there in the first place? _Oh well. Let's just see if he didn't make an appearance Freddy' room._ He didn't, thankfully.

The animatronic bear was still bounded to the board, head slumped over the strap by his neck, with no Circus Baby in sight except for the standee already against the wall from before. "I really am sorry, fr," I whispered. Bowing my head, I went around the table to peek in the corners, and found the final item I needed.

A bottle of black ink, just like the kind I used in my sketchbook, with an ink pen still in the jar. _Is the skull and crossbones on the side really necessary?_ "Welp, that's all of them. I just need to get the ink flowing somehow.

Should be a switch around here somewhere." I smiled sadly at Freddy, and gave another nod before stepping out of the room. "Then we can start up the main power. Right, Circus Baby?" I lifted the doll to my face, and using my index finger, pushed its head up and down. "Right. Knew you'd see things my way."

I walked back to the main power room, and sat each item on its respective pedestal. Once everything was put down, I turned to the Circus Baby doll. "Be good, won't you? I'm on an important mission, and I don't want to let you down."

"..."

"Thanks, Circus Baby." I chuckled at the silent answer, and headed down a new hallway. I haven't been everywhere yet. If there was some room with a way to get the ink flowing through the pipes, it'd be this way for sure. "Okay, all I'm looking for is a lever or a butto-AHH!"

A freakin' Circus Baby standee decided it's time to play a round of peek a boo with me! "NOT FUNNY!" I screamed down the hall, and raced after it. I slid into the wall at the end, due to the lack of grip my shoes had on the floor, and glared angrily at the cutout leaning nonchalantly against the wall across from me. "Are you serious, Circus Baby!? What did I do to deserve that!?"

Huffing, I brushed my vest and entered the room. Several chairs were set up in front of a projector, with ink puddles all over the floor, and notes and sketches attached to the walls. "More posters, huh? Circus Baby, you must have been really popular back in the day."

*Click* I snapped my head to the screen on the wall, and acknowledged the now running projector. A small animation of Circus Baby filled the screen on a black background. The little clown was doing a small dance, grinning happily. A waltz played over the speakers, soothing me from my jitters from before. "Heh… hehe… thanks, Circus Baby."

In the small corner beside the machine, I finally found what I was looking for. "Ink pressure! Yes!" I pressed the " **flow** " button, and laughed as the light came on in the tiny area. "Now to flip the switch!" I walked back to the large room, hearing loud thumbing from within the pipes. "Yeesh! How long has it been since William ran the ink flow? What is going on inside there?"

I don't know if this entire place is powered by ink or what, but it's really putting me on edge right now. Not that I don't love arts and drawing, but, uh… this is a little much. "Alrighty then, here we go." I stood in front of the main power switch. I glanced behind me, looking at the stands around me. _This isn't… something to be afraid of. You're just turning the power on. Nothing is gonna happen if you start up the machine. N-nothing…_

With a heavy sigh, a determined expression set on my face, and I grasped the handle firmly. With a heavy yank, the lever came down with a clunk. Immediately, the room plunged into darkness, the lights above the pedestals turning off.

"And the items are gone now too," I frowned. Throwing my hands up in the air in shock, I exclaimed, "the spirits have accepted my sacrifice… of haphazard stupid junk!" Giggling quietly, I headed back to the ink machine. If that stupid treasure hunt really worked, then I want to see this thing in action. Who knows? Maybe I can ask dad to drag it home for me. I turned around the last corner, and cast a look up the hallway where the exit was.

I could still leave, you know. I could head home right now and forget what I saw here. Pretending I never saw the letter, and just… burn every letter we receive from a potential psycho from now on. However, there was definitely something… wrong, about all this. Not just with Freddy too.

I started walking backwards, deep in thought. "Something is in here with me, and it's… I don't think it's just William. A normal human couldn't just disappear into thin air, and a cardboard image couldn't just walk around on its own. So then… who's in here with me?" My back bumped into something, and I felt my hand reach out behind me. _Wood? But then…?_

A heavy breath seemed to run down my collar, and I paled. My body went ridged, and I felt something cold and sticky wrap around my waist, holding me against the boards behind my back. Another slimy hand shot out from behind the boarded up entrance, and flung around my mouth. The bitter taste of ink filled my mouth, and my eyes widened in horror.

The breathing behind me got closer to my ear, sending terrified shivers through my body, and then… "I aM."

 _NOPE!_ I bit down on the hand covering my mouth, startling the monster into releasing me. Stumbling onto my hands and knees, I looked ahead in fright as the entire studio began filling with ink that leaked from the ceiling and the walls, covering the ground.

Whipping my head around, I saw that the… thing, had vanished back into the room. "Time to go!" I slipped as I pushed myself into a standing position, and took off down the hall, sliding through the ink. _Nope nope nope nope NOPE!_ Slipping around a sharp corner, I threw myself towards the exit.

Of course, life chose that time to screw things up for me. Yet again.

A loud crack filled the air with the continuing sound of pouring of ink, and I gasped as the floorboards broke underneath me. _Aw heck no!_ I lunged towards the door, only for my body to fall through the large hole, missing the stable ground with my fingertips by mere inches.

"AAHHHH! WHY DOES LIFE HATE MEEEEE!"


	6. Chapter 2- The Old Song

"EEEeeee-oof!" I felt my back smack roughly against a drawing table, and I face planted on the dust covered floorboards. "Merrr…" I painfully pushed up myself off the ground, and sat back on my legs. With my feet drawn underneath me, I rubbed my lower back, groaning. "Err… that was a long fall." At least that table was there to break my fall. Who knows what would've happened if I missed it… looking up above me, I could make out the flickering lights from the main floor high above me, and ink dripping down along the sides.

"That… what was that?" I gripped the table, and hoisted myself up. I stood under the hole, peering up in confused horror. Whatever that… inky beast was, it was definitely not human. Did… did it come from the ink machine? Or was it locked inside the building all this time… with me? _Oh sweet_ _molasses._

 _Was_ _that_ _what William wanted to show my dad!?_ I swallowed the lump growing in my throat, and backed up against the wall, far away from the hole. My breathing came out in short gasps, and I clutched the part of my vest over my heart. _What… what is this place!?_

"C-calm down, Marylin," I stuttered, before gulping. "C-calm down. It's o-okay. You're okay! That… thing, isn't gonna follow you. You're safe." I hope so. Once my heartbeat semi returned to normal, I looked around the room, only seeing cobwebs and an overturned dresser. "I-I better see what else is down here. Maybe there's an exit." Spotting the door off to the side, I made my way towards it, and peeked around the corner.

A small hallway, with a staircase leading down to another floor. _How huge is this building?_ Creeping around the bend, I made my way carefully down the steps. The wood letting out a small creak with each nervous step. The light above me continuously flickered, adding to the psycho ambiance.

I rubbed my fingers against my palm, and frowned. My skin, along with my entire wardrobe, was now stained in the metallic inky liquid. Any white part of my outfit was now a dyed gray with white streaks.

 _At least my pants and shoes are still normal._ I squeezed some ink from my braid, and continued down the long stairway. "Man, how deep is this? Did William build this much into the ground?"

I raised a brow at the boarded up holes in the walls, and stopped in front of a door. "What's behind door number one?" I asked smartly, and twisted the knob. It gave way without a fight, leading to a small room filled with storage crates and a boarded up hallway.

"Why's this covered?" Settling my hand on the wood, I looked around to see if I could use something to break it down. I was not in the mood for what I came across instead.

" **The creator lied to us.** " Nope. Nope, nope, nope. This had gone from a simple visit to an Indie horror game in five minutes flat. First a decomposing Boris, then a creepy ink monster who likes to breath down girl's backs, and then a threatening message. Oh, and did I forget to mention NOPE?

I bumped against the wall, and felt a sharp sting in my shoulder. Spinning around, I came face to face with an ax mounted on a board. "This will definitely come in handy," I grinned. Sliding the weapon off the mount, I weighed it in my hands.

Plenty of heft. Sharp enough blade. This will really do some damage. Chuckling, I marched up to the door, and smirked. "Hey, may I ax you a question!?" I swung against the wood, and shattered it into splinters. "Oh man! That, that was clever."

Laughing, I repeatedly brought the ax through the beams, making my way down the hallway. Whoever came down here before me, had not only blocked the entrance, but put up boards in the middle of the corridor too. "Another door, eh?" I thumped the blade against my palm. "Well, you're no match for the power of Bowens!" Boom! One down! Boom! Another one gone! Boom! Three down!

"And we're in," I grinned. Holding the ax in one hand, I opened the door… and jumped back in horror. Coffins and candles and a… a **SUMMONING CIRCLE!** "Aw, come on!" I exclaimed, and held the ax in front of me. William Afton, I swear if you were dealing with some dark mojo jojo, then I am out! Oh wait. I can't leave because your ink beast tried to choke me and I fell several stories!

I just wanted to go home and eat a bagel and drink some iced capp from Starbuck'. Was that too much to ask?

I cautiously stepped forward into the creep show, staring guardedly at the black ink decorating the middle of the floor. However, I wasn't careful enough in watching my step, letting my foot cross over the circle.

"AH!" I shrieked, falling down on my knees. The ax clattered to the ground beside me. A blurred image of the ink machine flew past my vision. _Wh-what?_ Shuddering, I turned to look up at the two coffins in front of me, only to have the image of a rusted wheelchair appear instead. "Wh-what is this…?" I whispered hoarsely, before a final image filled my head.

The ink monster. The same creature that attacked me upstairs. It was grinning… maliciously at me, and seemed to be approaching me. Dribbles of the slimy substance dripped down its white face, blocking any possible eyes. A faded white tie hung loosely on its chest, soaked in the ink from its unconventional body. Yet, the curve in its horns on its head, and its face seemed… terrifyingly familiar.

"… C-Circus Baby…?"

Ya know, sleep seemed like a great idea right now. Arms and legs giving out, my body slumped on top of the summoning circle, and I let the unconsciousness take me.

* * *

How… odd. I stood out from the large ink puddle in the corner of the room, and crept over to the unconscious form of the human. She seemed… familiar, to me. But how? She was not one of the animators or workers. She's way too young. Maybe one of the old worker's children?

I hated the fact another mindless human had made their way into the studio. Shouldn't they have gotten it through their thick heads that this place was dangerous by now? Yet… while I followed her around, she seemed to show a sort of respect to… Funtime Freddy. Heck, she even spoke to my cutouts as if I was listening!

Which I was, o'course. I could meld my form into any image of myself. A talent I had learned years ago. Hehehe. I won't lie, her reaction when I poked around the corner in the projector room was hilarious.

"Hmmm…" I knelt down, and nudged the human's ink stained cheek. Her head slumped to the side, still passed out. _Oh well._ I stood back up, and made my way back towards the wall. _She'll wake up eventually. And when she does…_ I gave a dark chuckle. "She'll be sure to be greeted with a **swell** time."


	7. Exploring the Sanctuary

"Ugh… oh my head." Letting out a small pained groan, I pushed myself to my knees. _What happened? The… last thing I remembered was…_

Circus Baby.

…

Wait.

 **CIRCUS BABY!**

"Oh god!" Scrambling up to my feet, I spun around to stare at where I was asleep. _I was sleeping in the summoning circle!?_ Uh, NOPE! I jumped a foot into the air, throwing myself back against the wall.

Nope, nope, NOPE. There's a lot of noping going on here, and I don't like it! Okay, okay. Now calm down, I breathed, and figure out what to do next.

I'm still in the sacrificial room, and by the looks of things, I was… not alone? The ax, which should have been sprawled out across the floor beside me, was now casually propped up against a coffin.

"Who put you there?" I brought my weapon back into my hands, tossing the weighted end in my palm. Maybe I put it there before I fainted.

"Well, I guess there's only one thing to do: press on. Hopefully, I can figure out a way to bust out of this freak show."

So let's see if I can backtrack first. I speed walked back the path I came, and slammed to a halt. "Oh my…" that's a problem if I ever saw one.

The entire hallway had caved in on itself, with jagged boards sticking out from the ceiling and a large pile blocking any way of moving through.

 _Is that from the ink machine?_ I felt a slimy cold liquid smack against my cheek. Grimacing, I wiped off the… ink?

"Eugh." Make that, huge pile of boards and a huge ink stain leaking into this floor level.

If I can't move backwards, then maybe… "I can go forward." Stopping in front of the boarded up door in the corner of the room, I raised the ax.

"Hiya!" Two hard whacks caused the beams to fall to my feet.

Grinning, I kicked them into the corner of the room, and opened the door.

"Let's go! Forward, march!" I walked out of the room, and stared down at another staircase.  
"Hmmm… hello?" I called, my voice bouncing off the walls. "Is anyone here?" Silence was my only response.

"Great. So that means I'm still stuck in here with… Circus Baby?"

Actually, I wasn't sure what that was, that grabbed me before… h-how long was I knocked out for? Looking down at my pants pocket, I slid my phone out.

Please work, please work, please wor-IT WORKED! Laughing in success, I tucked it away. Four hours. I've been in here for four hours so far.

Not bad. I haven't been missing so long as to cause any concern with dad. And mom too, I guess.

Anyways, the thing. I-I don't get it. I've come to accept the freaky possibility that animatronics are… alive. Funtime Freddy upstairs proved more than enough proof.

So then… did Michael make Circus Baby come to life too? I mean, why? Why on earth would William do this? What is there to gain from making cartoons come to life? And… what went wrong?

"Ah!" I stumbled backwards, and grasped the door for support. Another board fell from the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs, splitting in half as it made contact with the floor.

"Ah… ah…" I'm hating this. I frowned, and made my way to the bottom of the stairs. I'm really hating this.

"Y'know, Circus Baby," I began. Hey, I know I'm being followed by some creepy stalking demon, but I need someone else to talk to.

"I was thinking of a more general hello, not needing an actual answer here. But hey! I don't mind the company." As long as you don't try to kill me from behind…

I gripped the ax tighter, and paused to read the ink written on the wall. "He will set us free." Is… is this a shrine? I swiped a finger on the side of a dusty bowl filled with… I don't think I wanna know what this is.

Several cans of bacon soup sat on the shelve, along with melting candles; the wax slowly spreading over the wood. I glared at the small Circus Baby image on the wall, and flicked my index finger on its forehead.

"Jerk." Turning to the right, I found several more shrines exactly like this one.

"Was this place… always so big?" And why is this place so inky? These are questions I may never get the answer to.

"Another recorder." I picked up the device, and pressed play.

" ** _Sh_ _ **e** appears from the shadows to rein his sweet blessings upon me." _**_Uhhh… what?_ ** _"The figure of ink that shines in the darkness. I see you, my savior, I pray that you hear me."_**

 _What?_

" _ **Those old songs, yes, I still sing them. For I know you are coming to save me. And I will be swept into your final loving embrace."**_

 _What!?_

" _ **But, love requires sacrifice. Can I get an amen?"**_

WHAT!? No! You CANNOT get an amen! I refuse! The recording came to a stop, and I quickly sat it back down. I don't like being thrown into a horror game, okay? It's not fun here!

 _ **"I said, can I get an amen?"**_

"Holy!" I flung myself against the shrine, bumping a bowl to the floor. The white objects rolled around at my feet. Clutching the ax to my chest, I looked around.

"That was… not me." I slowly made my way towards the end of the room, staring cautiously at the bendy cutout in front of another star. _Gee, William. I know that Circus Baby's a demon and all, but it's not like_ _she's_ _a real demon… right?_ Oh, I hope I got that wrong.

"I swear, Circus Baby. You aren't getting an amen out of me! You're the savior of… of…" I'm not one for swears, so I don't want to damage any young invisible viewers. Wait. Why am I even thinking that…?

Oh well.

I walked to the end of the corridor, and sighed. "Oh boy."

That's a lot of ink. Setting down my weapon, I rolled up my jeans to my knees and took my shoes and socks off.

May as well try to keep them as clean as possible.

Which is very little, since everything white had now become a swirling gray. With a deep breath, I stepped into the ink.

Immediately, the blackness swarmed my legs, missing my jeans by inches. "Cold. Cold. Cold."

I slowly sloshed through the hallway, sidestepping around fallen boards. Hating this. Really, really hating this.

Grumbling, I leaned against the wall to take a breath, and froze.

 _What the… I'm not alone?_ A man, wearing red dress similar to Circus Baby and some object attached to his walked past the door at the end.

His feet seemed to slide across the ground, like he wasn't even fully lifting a leg. A large Circus Baby cutout was stuck under his arm.

"Hello!" I shouted, and sped up through the ink.

"Excuse me! Can you help me? Hello?" I grunted, yanking myself out of the liquid by the door frame, and turned the corner where the mystery guy went.

 _What?_ "Where… where the heck did he go?" The small area only had a collapsed shelf of bacon soup and the Circus Baby's standee.

The chipper looking clown grinned back at me, standing in front of another star.

"So now we're bringing teleportation into this? I don't like this," I turned around.

"And I don't like the fact that now every time I see you, there's another ritual circle behind you!" I walked down the opposite path, and slapped a hand to my forehead.

"Sure! Why not have another scavenger hunt!" I glared angrily at the three flashing buttons on the wall beside the closed gate.

"Dang it!" Swinging my bare foot, I rammed it into a barrel before spinning around. "Ow! Grrr, dang it all!"

Fine. I can deal with this, somewhat. Let's get this show on the road before I start losing my mind even more so than I already had.

But first, let's put my shoes back on before I shatter my bones.


	8. The Dancing Clown

"Alright then, let's start at the beginning." I put my hands on my hips, looking around the first room.

Having to trudge back through the ink was not fun, but there had to be switches where I first started. I walked over to where the disturbing recording was, and shuffled through the cans of bacon soup before looking up.

"Bingo!"

A small switch was on the top shelf, mounted to a beam next to a small Circus Baby with an open swinging panel cover.

Grinning, I pressed the switch, watching a glowing yellow light appear above it as I closed the box.

"One down, two to go." So... there's nothing left down in this part of the floor-wait. I paused, and looked up by a beam next to the exit of the room.

The second switch was a few feet above my head, forcing me to stand on my toes to hit it.

"Clever, Schmidt. Real clever."

Now that I found two of three switches, did that mean I had to swim through the ink again?

... yes, yes it did.

"Dang it," I grumbled, the chilling black goo swarming my legs once again. Hoisting myself out from the hall, I moved to the shelf next to the Circus Baby's cutout.

"Can. Can. Can," I muttered, tossing the soup onto the floor.

"Yes!" Hitting the switch, I stood up, but not before glaring at the cutout.

"Ya know, I'm gonna be holding a slight grudge against you for what you pulled upstairs. Honestly, did I even deserve that, Circus Baby?"

"..."

"Yeah, well... here's what I have to say to you." I slammed the ax in his face, the cardboard breaking apart at the impact.

"I don't take kindly to threats and jump scares, Circus Baby. Keep that in mind." I marched off to pull the switch by the gated door, and gave a final look behind me.

"Uh..."

The cutout was put back together, as if I didn't just ax it to death. The cheesy grin seemed to taunt me, begging me to try that again.

I jogged over to the panel, quickly flipping the huge switch. A pause, and the sudden sound of gears shifting filled the air.

Backing up, I laughed uneasily as the door moved upwards, allowing me to progress to the next area.

"Save point: reached!" I entered the small corridor, and gasped. The other side of the boarded up door lit up. Someone turned on a light. That's... that's not a comforting thought.

A few whacks to the wood later, I cautiously crept into the new area. It was practically pitch black, save for the random light lighting up the doorway I came from.

" **Music department?** " I raised a brow at the large sign across from me, complete with images of records, musical notes, and music sheets, before I finally noticed the different hallways coming off the room.

The ceiling was quite high in the center, being partially covered in metal grates to hide the ink pipes overhead.

Ink splattering covered spots in the floor, and all over the walls. It seemed that, no matter where I went, the liquid would continue to follow me.

"Why do I have the sneaking suspicion I'm going on another treasure hunt...?" It almost seemed to be a common theme on my mission, which wouldn't be too bad if I wasn't scared out of my wits.

Letting the ax dangle in my hand, I headed down the hall, pausing to look at an image of Circus Baby splashing in an ink puddle with an umbrella in his hand.

Smiling at the aged artwork, I patted the wall beside Circus Baby before entering the new room.

"Wow. Ha ha, this is incredible." A huge room, filled with music sheets and instruments. Looking up, I noticed how high the ceiling was in this area, and the balcony high to the right of me.

"Cool!" I quietly shouted, and laughed as my voice echoed around the room.

"Hehehe. What else is in here?"

Well, there's a recording booth in the corner, right below a large Circus Baby's head. The shining plastic wall was visible under the recording sign, faintly dimming and lighting to indicate someone was inside.

A few cartoon posters here and there, and-oh look! Another recorder! I picked it up, tucking the ax under my arm and hit play.

" ** **It may only be my second month working for**** ** **Michael**** ****Afton**** ** **, but I can already tell, I'm gonna love it here! People really seem to enjoy my Angel's Sisters voice.**** "

Angel's Sisters? Dad had mentioned two other character besides Circus Baby and Freddy, and I couldn't recall them that often enough in the cartoons I did own.

" ** **Michael**** ** **says**** ** **they**** ** **may be as popular as**** ** **Circus**** ** **Baby some day. These past weeks, I have voiced everything, from talking chairs to dancing chickens. But this is the first character I really felt a connection with, like Marie a part of me.**** "

Well, seeing how we're dealing with some dark magic and living cartoons, it wouldn't surprise me if this voice actress and her cartoon were joined together.

" ** **Marie and I, we're going places.**** "

Time to move on. Setting the recorder on the ledge of the booth, I made my way towards the exit.

I glanced at one of the music stand, reading the title of the piece. " ** **The Lighter Side of...**** " ha, nope! Nope, nope. Not today, not gonna be dealing with any crazy demons and freaky worshiping today. Goodbye!

After entering the main room, I grinned at the stairway that exited the music department.

"Finally!" Running over, I almost threw myself down the stairs as I found my one way out blocked. A large pond of ink flooded the stairwell, preventing me from opening the door.

"Of course! My one way out: flooded!" Sighing, I examined the power switch beside me.

"If I'm getting out, I'm gonna have to figure out how to drain this." Hopefully, this would help. I gripped the handle, and pulled it down with a small grunt.

Three hollow thumps echoed through the floor, and I saw the lights behind me had turned on.

"Well, I guess that helps." So, I checked out the left wing, speculation suggested the right wing was the next option. I headed towards the small staircase, and noticed a new poster on the wall.

" ** **Sister**** ** **'**** ** **s**** ****Mistake**** ** **.**** " Why did they have a halo and devil horns?

Shrugging at the odd animation design, I made my way to the projection booth.

"What the... how'd that get down there?" A Circus Baby cutout sat in one of the chairs in the orchestra pit, grinning at me.

"Hi, Baby," I nervously waved. "Don't mind me, just... trying to figure stuff out." Another recorder.

These seemed to be becoming a common theme in the studio. Not that I didn't mind listening to them though.

They provided some insight as to what had happened that left the animation workshop in disarray.  
" ** **Everyday the same strange thing happens. I'll be up here in my booth, the band will be swinging, and suddenly**** ** **William**** ** **Afton just comes marching in and shuts the whole thing down. Tells us all to wait in the hall.****

 ** **Then I hear him. He starts up my projector, and he dashes from the projector booth and down to the recording studio like the little devil himself was chasing behind. Few seconds later, the projector turns off. But**** ** **William**** ** **, he won't come out for a long time. This man is weird. Crazy weird.****

 ** **I have half a mind to talk to Mr. Afton, I really do. But then again, I have to admit. Mr. Afton has his own... peculiarities.**** "

I brought a hand to my chin in thought. If this William guy was that messed up, same as Michael..could-could he have been the one who set up those shrines?

Heading backstairs, I finally had a goal set. Turning the bend, I headed back to the lower part of the room.

"Looks like this is going-AAHH!"

Searchers! The Searchers were alive! Flipping pancakes with syrup, I did not ask for this! Four... things, sprang up form the floor, scattering ink dollops around them as one fell from a pipe in the ceiling that was open right above the floor in front of the sign.

They had a human appearance... y'know, if a human had no legs, no facial features, and was made of ink. I raised the ax above my head, and quickly blocked an arm, black claws extended to attack me.

Its body was stretched out, getting thinner the farther it went down its torso to extend its deadly reach.

"Ah!" I was knocked back a few feet, before regaining myself.

Quickly, I slid across the floor on my knees, and swung the ax through the monster. It broke apart, and I watched the ink break apart into smaller pieces.

Nodding at the defeat, I turned to the other three blobs, and launched myself at them. Swinging my ax as hard as I could, I shattered two of the monsters.

The last one, unfortunately-"Ah!"-got a good attack on my right arm. A mixture of ink and blood dripped onto the floor, creating a twisted hue of colors.

Hissing in pain, I quickly regained my composure long enough to aim at its head, smirking slightly in satisfaction as it was brought down. It was still hair-raising, however.

Regardless of my expression, I was close to passing out from how rapid my heart was beating.  
Even now, despite the fact the blobs were taken down, the areas where they spawned continued to bubble and shift in place, not spreading out over the floor.

"Errr..." I raised my arm to examine it, frowning. "Gross."

A soft rustling came behind me, and as I whipped around a small rag was tossed around a corner.

"Huh...? Wh-what?" Looking around, I crept up to the cloth, picking it up hesitantly. It was as clean as one could get in an ink infested building. But it'd have to do, unless I wanted to risk an infection.

"Wait. So... who left this then?" Looking around, I spotted a Circus Baby cutout leaning up against the wall.

"Circus Baby?" I glanced from the rag to the demon. "Did... did you give me this, Baby?"

No surprise, it didn't answer. Walking up to the cutoff, I grinned, patting its head.

"Thanks, Baby. At least... someone is trying to keep me calm." I tied the cloth around the wound, making sure the ink stains weren't getting into the gouge.

Leaning against the department's sign tiredly, I gave a long sigh.

"I don't know why you're stalking me, or possibly trying to kill me, but... but don't I get a chance to explain myself? Are you angry with all humans, or... or is it because of the old workers?" I felt the demon's forehead, finding it slightly warm.

"I don't know if it was you or Joey who wrote to my dad, but I'm not leaving until I get answers as to what's going on around here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a puzzle to solve."

I gave a mock salute before leaving it, and walked over to a recorder mounted to the wall beside us.

" ** **So first,**** ** **My**** ** **Son installs this ink machine over our heads. Then it begins to leak. Three times last month we couldn't even get out of our department because the ink had flooded the stairwell.**** ** **Michael's**** ** **solution? An ink pump to drain it periodically. Now I have this ugly pump switch right in my office. People in and out all day. Thanks,**** ** **Michael**** ** **. Just what I needed. More distractions! These stupid cartoon songs don't write themselves you know.**** "

That voice... it sounded just like the guy from where I had first woken up. But... something seemed off.

He sounded obsessed with Circus Baby before, so then why did he seem to hate him here?

"What do you think Baby...?"

He's gone. How the-? H-he was right there! Literally, only a few feet away! How could he have moved!?

"I-I don't even wanna know." The grinding sound I heard when I flipped the switch, not only brought back the power, but opened the gated door next to the orchestra pit.

Giving a wary look at where the cutout once was, I headed down the new wing.

I stopped at the door on the right, and twisted the knob.

"Huh. Didn't think that would work." I stepped into room, seeing a large piano.

"What's this doing here?" I asked aloud, and examined the dusty keys.

"Hmmm..." I pressed down on a few of them, and shivered at the ghastly sound the instrument emitted. "Well, that's inter-"

"Nooooo...!" A muffled moan interrupted me, and I spun around to look at the door.

Backing out of the room, I went to check the next open door.

All that was in there was a Freddy poster, some music sheets, and a sketch of Circus Baby with the same facial expressions.

"Why does it say they're different feelings? They're all the same image," I noted.

Maybe there's an answer as to how to drain the ink further down the hall. " ** **William**** ****Afton**** ** **. Music department director.**** " So this was where his office was.

If that's the case, then the drain was in there! A Circus Baby cutout was waiting for me by the door, but I realized I couldn't do anything else.

A large ink leak prevented me from getting in through the door, spraying at a high pressure against the wood and forcing it shut.

Not too mention the small flooding at the base of the ledge from where it slightly dipped down.

"Well, ain't that a leak. Maybe if I cut the flow, I could get in."

I looked around to see if there's a clue, and found a recorder on the wall opposite of the leak, surrounded by ink splatters.

" ** **So, I go to get my dustpan from the hall closet the other day.**** " That's Wally. The voice was the exact same from the first machine from upstairs.

" ** **And guess what? I can't find my stupid keys. It's like they disappeared into thin air or something. All I can think of is that they must have fallen into one of the garbage cans as I was making my rounds last week. I just hope nobody tells**** ** **William**** ** **. Because if he finds out I lost my keys again, I'm out of here.**** "

Well then why would you record yourself saying that? And leave it in an open hallway?

"Man, can anyone think straight in here?" Alright, so I was looking for a set of keys. Think, Marylin. Didn't you see something back in the main room?

"... by the Angel's Sister poster!" My eyes lit up in remembrance.

"Of course!" Running back, I slid into the wall at the end, my dress shoes sliding on the ink.

"Ow." Groaning, I shook off the impact, and walked over to the garbage can around the corner by the small flight of stairs leading to the projection space.

"Bingo."

With a satisfying clunk, I opened Wally's broom closet that was back at the end of the hall where I found the tape, across the room from William's office.

"Another tape. What a surprise!" Sarcasm; a girl's best friend.

" ** **Every artistic person needs a sanctuary.**** ** **My**** ** **Son has his, and I got mine. To enter, you need only know my favorite song: the banjo playfully clucks. The banjo, once again, strums its melody. The violin shudders with a piercing voice. The violin again screams. Sing my song and my sanctuary will open to you.**** "

Banjo, banjo, violin, violin. That must be the order I have to play those instruments in the orchestra room. And if the other recording was any clue, I had to start the projector first for it to work.

"Gotta go fast," I muttered as I headed up the stairs.

"Gotta go fast. Gotta go faster, faster." I casually looked down in the pit, and tensed. Why on earth were there ****five**** of them now!? Why's that a thing!? Shaking my head, I turned it on and ran back to the room. I actually knew the cartoon that was playing in the machine.

Well, the small clip loaded in. Tombstone Picnic. It was one of the first Circus Baby's cartoons dad had ever shown to me, and I absolutely loved it to death.

That was until the tape went and broke, shredding the film to the point we could never play it again.

I strummed the banjo twice, the instrument lying against the wall beside the door, and moved swiftly to the violin on the chair beside it.

Quickly, I plucked a string twice while keeping an eye on the screen above in case it turned off without warning.

With a surprised jump as it turned off once I retracted my hand, I watched the door move upwards on the opposite side of the room.

"Yes!" I walked into the hall past a few boards and three cellos lined up in a row across from a violin on a shelf, finding a... toilet next to another ritual circle.

Gee, William, you sure had weird tastes in sanctuaries. A desk was pushed up into a corner, with a stool, melting candles that was still very much lit, a Baby plush, and a banjo.

" **Sing a happy song. Whistle a merry tune. Wait for his arrival. He's coming very soon.** " _So... still not liking this._

"Well, here we go." Sitting the ax by my feet, I gave a loud grunt, and slowly cranked the wheel opposite from the twisted setup the music director had built.

The sound of the ink moving throughout the room died down, and I picked up the weapon once again.

"That should do it."

Now, to go back and get into-"AAHHH!" I screamed.

"Circus Baby! Gah, for crying out loud!" Inhaling deeply, I stormed down the hallway, and glared around the corner.

Circus Baby laid against the wall, and I could've sworn that grin was more of a smirk than anything else. "Screw you, Baby! Screw! YOU!"

* * *

Now, did I like it that this human was wandering around the studio. No, in fact, I was half tempted to kill her on the spot when she first entered.

Seriously, did she really think I was that inky copy cat? Hell no! I was my own person! Did I like it that she kept acknowledging my cutouts as a real person, despite believing I wasn't real and proving how disillusion she probably was?

...I did, actually. She treated me like I wasn't just some cartoon, some random drawing on paper.

No one had done that in years. No other animator, not one. Except for... him.

But what she said earlier... so she ****was**** one of the old worker's kids. But who? The only one that bore any resemblance to her with the pale skin and black hair was... Mike.

 _She's_ _Mike_ _'s brat.. sh-she intercepted the letter before he got it? Ooh boy, that's not good._ Well, for her, at least. Couldn't really say the same for the other guy.

"Heh... hehehe. Ah, Michael. You're in a bit of a pickle, aren't you? Just wait until you find out 'bout this."


	9. Escape Circus Baby

After striking down about half a dozen ink blobs in the orchestra room, which was totally unfair in how they gained up on me, and suffering a few more scratches, I made my way back to William's office. "Okay, now let's-ah!" Sure; why not have a blob guarding the doorway? "Die sucker! Die!" I slammed the ax into its head, panting as the ink melted. "I… am… hating this!"

Opening the door, I walked straight over to the pump control lever, and flipped it down. "There. That ought to do it." I looked over at the table, and frowned at a set of schematics for some… machine. _That doesn't look promising._ It actually looks like the ink machine. But… why is that down here? Frowning, I glanced at the radio beside it. "Hmmm..." I flicked the knob, and another ragtime piano song blared out of the speakers. This one had me bobbing my head slightly to the tune. "Not bad. Not bad at all." Now all it needed was some catchy lyricst's time to believe." Believe in what? Baby? I certainly hope not. I stepped out of the room, glaring at the inky message on the wall. "So, all that's left now is to head down the stairwell and we're home fr-"

A blunt object whacked against the back of my head, and I dropped to the ground, rolling onto my back dizzily. "Wh… what…?" Blurring vision prevented me from seeing straight, but I was half certain that the thing that knocked me out was… "C-Circus Baby…?"

 _ **"Rest your head, it's time for bed."**_

Oh no.

* * *

" **There we go now. Nice and tight. We wouldn't want our sheep roaming away now, would we?"** _H-huh…?_ Lazily, I felt my eyelids start to open, black spots in my vision. _Wait, what happened before…!? Circus Baby!_ I shot up in alarm. An ink monster stood in front of me, wearing a filthy red dress and a Circus Baby's mask. The grin was smashed out, allowing dark eyes to study me. _Creep._ "Wh-what's going on?" I struggled to stand up, and suddenly realized why.

This… thing, tied me to a freakin' chair! Knots were done around my wrists and legs, binding me to the seat. _Where's the ax!?_ I looked around quickly, finding it propped up under a speaker by a plank of wood. _Dang! Now what do I do!?_ "No, we wouldn't," he said. I guess it was a he, the voice sounded male. "I must admit I am… honored you came all the way down here to visit me. It almost makes what I'm about to do seem… cruel."

What ARE you about to do… oh no. No, no. No. NO. I'm-I'm sitting in a ritual circle. Not good, not good at ALL. _**"**_ _ **But the believers must honor their savior. I must have him notice me."** No! No, I don't want your creepy senpai to devour me to notice you! _ _**"**_ _ **Wait. You look familiar to me… that face…"**_

"I-I'm M-Marylin," I stuttered. "M-Marylin S-Schmidt. Mike's d-daughter." C'mon, girl. Think! Why does this freak seem so… familiar? Is he…? "W-William Afton?"

William chuckled darkly, and I flinched backwards. _**"An offspring of Mike's. How… perfect."** _ What the heck do you mean by that!? Why is that perfect!? " _ **Not now. Four our lord is calling to us, my little sheep. The time of sacrifice is at hand!"** _ NO! No, it doesn't! _ **"And then, I will finally be freed from this… prison. This inky… dark… abyss I call a body."**_

Well, I like my body! "W-William, please! Y-You don't have to do this!" William reached forward, and held a hand to my mouth. Just as Circus Baby had done, the bitter taste of ink flooded my mouth. "Ack!"

 _ **"Shhhh… quiet! Listen! I can hear her."**_ As he said that, we looked upwards. Several loud thumbs came from the floor above, knocking dust down from the ceiling. "Crawling above. Crawling!" He pulled his hand away, and I spat out the ink in disgust. _ **"Let us begin.**_ _ **The ritual must be completed!"**_ No, it doesn't! It's not a requirement! _**"Soon she will hear me… he will set us free,"** _ he leered. I spat more ink onto the floor, and tried to remove the small amount trailing down the back of my throat. Glaring in the direction William went, I raised a brow at his feet. The inky stubs dragged along the floorboards, just as the ink blobs had done.

"Nice feet, ya loser," I snapped. I looked down at the ropes binding my wrists, and frowned. Time to hurry. If what ink boy was saying was true, then I had to get out of here ASAP. I began tugging on the binds, the rope digging into my skin.

 _ **"** **Sheep, sheep, sheep. It's time for sleep,"** _ William's voice sickly sang from the speakers in front of me. _**"Rest your head. It's time for bed. In the morning, you may wake. Or in the morning, you'll be dead."** _ That is an option! I choose life! " _ **Hear me, Circus Baby!**_ " William cried. I shot up to see the gated door in front of me begin to rise, and I hurried even faster to free myself. _Almost… there…!_ " _ **Arise from the darkness! Arise and claim my offering! Free me! I beg you!"**_

"No thank you! No thank you!" I shouted, and finally freed a hand. "Yes!" I began to untie the other hand, freeing me from the rope burns I had inflicted.

" ** _I summon you, ink demon! Show your face and take this tender sheep!"_** I am not a sheep! I rubbed a wrist before kneeling down to untie my legs. I proudly identify as an nine tailed fox. _**"No!"**_ Abruptly, the tone William was using changed. I glanced up at the speakers worriedly. What's happening? _**"Stay back! I am your prophet! I am your-AAAHHH!"** _ The speakers let out a shriek, and I suddenly found myself having the energy to break free of the bonds.

"Time to run!" I ran through the two walls of loose planks, scooping up the ax along the way. "Ah! I don't have time for you!" I ducked the two ink blobs springing up from the ground, and hurried down the hallway. Whacking at the boards boarding up the exit, I quickly climbed out of an ink pit and stared at… what was I staring at? A huge ink pond filling a room? Why… is this here? I crept towards it, holding the ax by my head when…

"OH MY GOD!" Freakin' Circus Baby! She's back! Giant ink monster's back! The… thing, looked like Circus Baby, but… it was something out of a nightmare. It towered above me, and ink dripped off its body. She turned to look at me, and the grin she gave me…

The lights began to flicker on and off, and I felt the ink lake begin to seep forward, covering my feet. "RUN AWAY! AWAAYYY!" I flung myself around, finding the old pathway blocked! "WHY!?" I slid against the wood, and chased down the right corridor.

I nervously looked behind me, and saw the demon turn the corner, chasing after. My feet bounded up the small set of stairs and I ran into the room in front of me. As fast as I could, I grabbed a board beside the door, and blocked the entrance. Loud pounding came from the other side, eventually dying down.

Panting, I backed away from the door, and tensely made my way into the next room. "That was… was that… Circus Baby?" It… it couldn't be. Unless… unless he was either a real demon, or… or Michael had something to do with this. I wouldn't put it past him, after what he did to Freddy. I looked at the next corner I had to make, and came to a halt.

A random can of bacon soup. I watched the object roll across the floor from the hallway across from me, and bounce against the wall. "Hello? Is someone… there?" I gripped the weapon, and got into a stance in case I had to fight or flight. "I know you're in here. Come out and show yourself.

Footsteps began to approach, and I backed up. _Please don't be Circus Baby. Please don't be Circus Baby._ Wh-what? Honestly, out of everything I had come to expect out of this creepypasta madhouse, this… wasn't something I had expected. The tall bear animatronic watched me curiously, tilting his head to the side. "F-Freddy?"


	10. Filler Chapter: Circus Baby's Death

Circus Baby stared outside, at the night sky. All the stars shining, lighting up the night. The moon right in the middle. Circus Baby had looked to the moon countless nights. She'd always hoped that maybe one day, anytime, anywhere, she could live the way she wanted to. With a loving sister, instead of Alice, her ink angel sister. Circus Baby had always been jealous of Alice, for countless reasons.

 **1) Alice was liked and popular**

 **2) Alice had a bright future ahead of her**

 **3) Alice had happiness**

 **4) Alice was the better version of Circus Baby**

There were so many more. Circus Baby knew that she should value what little she had, and she did. She even cared deeply about Alice, even though Amy wished Circus Baby would just drop dead. Circus Baby loved her just the same. She knew Alice would never feel the same way about her. Alice lived to make Circus Baby's life a nightmare.

"Oh, why doesn't she love me? Why doesn't she care?" Circus Baby struggled, trying to hold back her tears. This was what Alice did to her. "I try my hardest. I do what I think is right. What do I get? What does Alice do? She treats me like a slave."

Circus Baby looked at the bright light of the moon. "I bet nobody would even care if I died. They'd be celebrating." Her gaze went up to the endless sky. "Would they? They'd be happy."

Circus Baby cried then, finally letting the tears fall down. Starting from her eyes, down to her chin, then all the way down onto the window. She could see the small pool they were making. That just made her cry more. Circus Baby had dealt with this before, crying herself to sleep every night. This may as well be the story of her life.

"Ow!" Circus Baby rubbed at the small cut on her arm, where one of the tears had landed. She'd never dream of telling, but Circus Baby had started cutting herself when she was alone. By now, her arms were coated with scratches and scars. "Why do I have to live like this? Why?"

The tears fell faster, some on the cuts and some on the window. She screamed in pain each time, but it hurt and stung so good. This was her punishment. The treatment that had been destined to be hers. Pain, hurt, and heartbreak.

Circus Baby kept feeling like this. Eventually, she thought, "I need to end this! I'm done with my life!"

She snuck to her father's room, knowing he kept a gun on the small table next to his bed. Sometimes, she felt like she was in a dream when she cut herself or tried to commit suicide. A dream that could end any minute, any second- but she didn't want it to. Circus Baby was ready to face her fate.

* * *

Meanwhile, Alice was trying to sleep. She had been kept awake, each time by the sound of her sister's screaming. At times like this, she was grateful for the distraction. She would die before telling, but Alice was jealous of Circus Baby. She envied the way Circus Baby was so approachable if you needed help. She envied her sister's rare smile, which was probably prettier than her own.

"Tell me what to do." She looked down at her hands. "What should I do?"

Alice sighed. She wouldn't be getting any rest tonight.

Circus Baby successfully made it out of the bedroom, with the black gun in her hand and a piece of paper in the other- her suicide note.

* * *

 **Dear Reader,**

I'm sorry. I've made too many mistakes, and should have known to do this sooner. I'm not needed, I was born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe I shouldn't even be here. So I'm giving up. You might say I'm committing suicide. I call it escaping. You're probably too late, but if you could, what would you say to me? I'm a nuisance? I'm a slave? I'd believe anything you say.

I have a few things to say to my sister, Alice. If you're reading this...

I'm in a better place now. I have all I need, and finally know where I belong. But I want you to know, I'm not upset with you. You were the better sister. It was obvious. I was jealous of you. You were the best at everything. Alice, I love you no matter what happens to you. Remember this.

To everyone else- I should be mad at you, but I'd never forgive myself if I was. You aren't to blame, it's all my fault.

Bye forever, Circus Baby 'Charlotte'

* * *

Alice had finally been able to sleep. She was grateful, but obviously couldn't sleep too well. She kept havimg terrifying nightmares about Sammy.

"Charlotte, what are you doing?" In Alice's dream, she was chasing her sister down a long blood-stained path that looked like death. "You'll die!"

"Well, I deserve it. Right, Alice?" Circus Baby's last words, before she walked into a cloud of fog. All Alice heard after was a blood-curdling scream then silence.

"Noooooo!" Alice got down on her knees. She cried at the sight of her sister's blood coming down the path. Before she gave up, her last words were, "I'm sorry."

Alice's dream was depressing enough to wake her up. She was practically sweating. Alice had been terrified of her nightmare. "I need to see my sister!"

Circus Baby made it outside, to the backyard. This was where she was going to die. Right there. But of course, this would go unnoticed.

"Well, world- this is it. My last goodbye." Circus Baby ponted the gun at her head, and closed her green eyes as she felt the bullet in her brain. The last thing anybody ever heard from her was a scream, and of course, dead silence after.

In her cold, dead hand was the suicide note. It fell out of her hand, as if it were saying goodbye like Circus Baby had.

The gunshot woke up everyone in the house. Alice stood, shocked and scared. Soon after, her parents came down the steps. "What happened?"

Alice answered, scared. "I heard a gunshot come from outside."

Her father grabbed a flashlight. He silently motioned for his wife and daughter to follow him. Slowly and carefully, they crept outside. "Nothing in the front yard."

Alice froze up. "The back?"

Alice's father directed for her to lead the way, and they all walked to the backyard. Alice was the first one to freeze up, and almost faint. "What- what happened?"

Alice collapsed onto the grass, clutching her sister's cold hand in her own. Tears formed in her eyes, then fell. "What have I done? Please, tell me this isn't real!"

Alice's parents froze up when they saw Circus Baby's body on the grass, and Alice actually crying over her. "Alice? Is your sister really-" Her mother did her best to form the word. "Dead?"

Alice tearfully nodded. "I pushed her too far! I wish I could undo everything!"

With shaking hands, Alice picked up the suicide note Circus Baby had left. "Look at what she said to me!" Tears fell faster, and each one was more depressing than the last.

"She loved me, and I didn't stop to see that! I was too busy bossing her around... I caused her to die!"

Alice felt her parents pat her back, and hug her. They were crying, too, and it was eventually too much for Alice. "I have to go inside."

Rubbing her eyes, Alice walked into the house. She'd never see Circus Baby's smile, her hopeful green eyes, or her optimism ever again. The worst part? Circus Baby had admitted to loving her sister, and Alice hadn't stopped to see that.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

A week later, at Circus Baby's funeral, Alice sat wiping her eyes as she saw Circus Baby's body get buried. In her hand was the suicide note, which she'd kept ever since her sister's death. The phrase, "I love you, Alice," always stood out to her now.

Alice carefully placed flowers on her sister's grave, and as she did, felt herself feel a bit better. Alice would never forgive herself for Circus Baby's suicide, and had promised she'd never make that mistake again.

As she did, the clouds opened up and the sun shined. It was a beautiful day, but would never be the same without Circus Baby.


	11. Filler Chapter: The Perfect Sister

Alice and Circus Baby had been raised together, identical twins. The only way to tell them apart was the mole Amy had. Amy always thought she was better than her sister. She'd call her names like Pigtails Girl, and Charlie. Because of Alice, nobody knew Circus Baby and was known as Charlotte. One day, it was almost Alice and Circus Baby's birthday. Circus Baby was the good twin, and decided to surprise Alice.

She knew Alice would be out at parties, and that gave her enough time to work on a gift for her sister. Circus Baby was stuck with a room in the attic at their house, and in the small attic was a wooden chest. Every day, Circus Baby raided the chest for items. She had seen Alice get porcelain dolls, plastic dolls, and even wooden dolls for holidays. Circus Baby thought she'd make her sister a doll that was actually family-made.

Circus Baby had spent hours at work, knitting and knitting. She worked hard, put her heart and soul into this one doll. She spent a few hours looking for the perfect colors for the hair, and then finding buttons for the eyes. Ocean blue, like the girl's real eyes. Sometimes, Circus Baby never got any sleep and forced herself to keep going.

Every day, Circus Baby studied her work. She felt like it had to be perfect, and almost ended up with blood all over her fingers from poking herself with the needle. That was just a thing she'd have to get used to. Maybe if Alice saw this, Circus Baby would be seen as more than a slave. She'd actually be loved.

Alice never saw her sister's work. She didn't even go into her sister's room, but why would she when she had so many things Circus Baby didn't have? But Circus Baby was grateful for that. She felt like every time she hurt herself in the process of making the doll, it was a knife to her heart. The blood would be her tears, but her heart was crying.

Alice never would see it, actually. At least, not until it was too late. Alice constantly abused Circus Baby, using her for everything from test answers to lunch money. She unfortunately wasn't aware that she was killing her sister, inside and out.

One day, the girls' birthday, Circus Baby came down the steps from the attic. She held the doll behind her back, being sure not to ruin the red and white dress, blue button eyes, or red ruby yarn hair. She walked up to Alice, almost scared.

"Uh... Alice?"

Alice turned around, glaring at her sister. "What is it, Pigtails Girl?'

Circus Baby slowly held out the doll. " I made this for your birthday, if you want it. There's a note in the-" Before Circus Baby could finsh, she was pushed down. Alice was furiosly kicking and slapping Sammy, talking about how Circus Baby ruined everything. By the time she was done, Circus Baby's lip was bleeding, there were bruises all over her arms and legs, and Circus Baby was unconscious.

Alice started to freak out. While her parents didn't mind Alice taking control of Circus Baby, they also didn't want to get in trouble for abusing a child too much. If they saw Circus Baby, they'd freak.

Alice shook Circus Baby, scared and worried. She still didn't see the doll in Circus Baby's hand, and tried to wake her sister up. "Get up, I didn't mean to..." Alice trailed off, but was slowly crying as Circus Baby still lay there motionless.

In a panic, Alice grabbed the nearest phone and dialed 911. "Hello? I just may have killed my own sister, please help!"

The ambulance was over there in a matter of minutes. Along the way, Alice insisted on riding with Circus Baby. She held her hand the whole way to the hospital, and still didn't let go when they arrived. The walk into the emergency room was filled with tears and panic.

"I didn't mean to! It's all my fault. Circus Baby was only trying to give me a birthday present." Alice explained tearfully what was going on. "I promise I never meant for any of this!"

The doctor tried to calm Alice down. "We've got your sister attached to machines now. Circus Baby, is it?"

Alice shook her head. "People who get hooked up to machines die! And it's Charlotte."

"Not all the time, Alice. And on her birth certificate her name is Charlotte."

"That was me! I changed her name!"

The doctor, in a last desperate attempt to calm Alice down, requested that Alice see her sister. Alice followed a nurse up an elevator, and into a room. Circus Baby was laying there, machines all around her. Alice could hear a steady beep from them, meaning Circus Baby was still alive.

"I'm sorry! I never should have done that, I should have taken your gift! It's my fault you're here. I don't think I can ever forgive myself! Please wake up!"

Alice suddenly saw her sister's eye move the tiniest bit. She cautiously asked, "Charlotte?" but nothing happened.

That only made Alice tear up more. She screamed out loud, "Please wake up! I'll never treat you badly again!'

A young-looking nurse entered the room. " Alice?"

"What? Will she be okay?"

"Not exactly. We called her parents and they told us they may not have the money to pay for the bill." The nurse's eyes were red with tears. "We have an hour left for her to wake up, or we unhook the machines."

Alice gripped her sister's hand. "No!"

"Yes. We're very sorry."

Alice looked at Circus Baby, then at her other hand. All this time, Circus Baby's handmade doll had been in her hand. "If you want it." Those had been Circus Baby's words before she gave the doll to her.

Alice cried more when she saw it. Nobody had done this for her before. No one had taken the time to spend hours poking themselves with a needle and picking the perfect buttons for eyes. They gave Amy things that didn't need to be made.

"I'm sorry!" Alice looked down at the doll, and at Circus Baby.

As if by magic, Circus Baby's eyes opened. She looked at Alice, confused and then saw Alice was holding the doll.

'Alice?"

Alice tightly hugged Circus Baby when she saw she was alive. "You're alive!"

"I am." Circus Baby hugged Alice back, and asked, "Do you like the doll?"

"It's perfect, Charlotte. Thank you.'


	12. Chapter 3 - Rise and Fall

_What... what happened?_ Groaning, I sat up, holding my head. Okay, Marylin. Let's rewind for a second and think about what happened. I got chased by creepy ink Circus Baby, blocked off the entrance to the room, and... oh.

Freddy.

Ho-he-wh-wh-how is HE alive!? He was all gooey and cut open upstairs! How'd he get down here!? "Argh! Can't anything make any dang sense in this twisted fun house of nightmares!?"

Sitting up, I clumsily got to my feet and looked around me. I was in a small room with a Boris poster, a hammock, and a Circus Baby's clock that resembled one of those old-timey black and white cat ones. You know, the ones with the moving eyes and tail?

Looking up at the whirling fan creating a small soothing breeze, I sighed in relief. Wherever I was, it was safe. _Wait. What was I resting on?_ Looking behind me, I couldn't help the tiny smile on my face. A cot was set up in the corner, with a thin blanket at the foot. At least whoever brought me here knew how exhausted I was. I probably collapsed the moment I ran into Funtime Freddy. Did Freddy bring me here?

"And no ax. Great, just Great." I tightened my braid, and looked over at the door. Should I risk it? Probably. I've been trapped inside this building for who knows how long, and I can't remain here forever. I need answers. And if I can't find Mr. Afton, then I guess... Freddy would have to do.

"I'm hunting down a cartoon for answers to an occult built around an animation studio," I mumbled, and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind me. "I'm seriously gonna need therapy after this." Directly across from me were a set of overalls and underpants hanging on a fence, ink dripping around me from above. "Ew." Left or right. Left or right... left.

Going into the new room, I blinked in surprise, A line of old sinks filled one side of the room, along with a dirty mirror covered in scratches.

"A bathroom. Well, at least it's something semi-normal in here." Not gonna even bother with the plumbing. It's more than likely all inked up too.

Walking back out, I turned down the right door and froze. "Oh..." Funtime Freddy Fazbear was sitting at the far end of the room beside a banjo, resting a hand on the table. _Not gonna back out. Not gonna back out._ Mentally prepping myself, I walked over to him.

A deck of cards was laid out in front of him along with a small candle. Freddy nodded his head to the music in the background playing on the speakers, making me wonder how such a simple guy... bear... thing, ended up in this situation.

I stopped in front of him, but felt my voice get stuck in my throat. Freddy continued nodding to himself, seemingly unaware of my presence. _Okay then?_ Gulping, I moved down the room to the right. It's not that I was afraid of-oh, yes. I was terrified. After what happened with William and Circus Baby, my trust factor and nerves were shot.

Maybe there's a way out of here this way-NOPE! Bits and pieces of old paper, posters, and cardboard cutouts shaped some disturbing spider-like Circus Baby on the wall.

At least I think it was him. The tutu and smile, and tie gave it away. Except he was frowning. "Okay then. That's... that's not a good sign. Maybe the other way?"

Spinning around, I speed walked back past Freddy and over to the door on the left. No lever. Sure, why not? "Maybe he has it," I mumbled to myself, and glanced back at Freddy. Guess I've got no choice but to talk to him after all.

"Hey, Freddy," I said quietly, trying to control myself. "Have you seen the lever around here?" An idea popped into my head, and I smirked playfully. "Or are you holding it hostage until I make you some food?"

His silence I took for a yes. "Thought so." Moving back towards the right, I stood up on my toes to grab a can of bacon soup on a box, then grabbed the one on the stove. _Need at least one more._ Wasn't there a foot locker under the hammock?

"Right." Running back, I flung it open and grabbed a can before returning to the stove and dumping the cans' contents into the pot and flicking it on. Once I was certain it was cooked enough, I dipped up some of the questionable liquid into a bowl and carried it over to Freddy.

"Here you go, pal." Freddy took the bowl and sat it down. Reaching behind him, he dropped a toolbox on the table, and went back to his music.

 _Okay? So I just made you soup for nothing?_ Flipping it open, I happily took the lever and went to insert it. Pulling it down, the door swung open. _Wait a second._ Turning back, I grinned at the bear. "Thanks Freddy!"

The bear glanced over at me, and I could've sworn he smiled back. "Okay, girl. I turned back to the door and stepped out into the new area. A hand tapped my shoulder, and I jumped. "Wha-Freddy?" Freddy stood behind me, still smiling. _He's... gonna follow me?_ I have a partner now. That's... well, at least he's not trying to kill me.

Yet...

"Let's see what's out there, huh? Don't wander off." Nodding, he lagged behind me as I surveyed our surroundings. Old lockers stood in the corner, covered in thick cobwebs.

Walking down the end of the corridor, I paused to examine a wooden box with a slot at the top where one could look out. " **Little miracle station?** " Is that a halo on the sign? Shaking my head, I turned around and gasped. A Circus Baby's cutout stood at the corner.

"I'm really disappointed with you, you know." I flicked his forehead, and shook my head. "What did I ever do to anger you? I've never even met you before today. I'm just a child entering the idiocy of adulthood." Okay, 20 is somewhat considered already adulthood. But I was young at heart!

Freddy raised a brow at my actions, and I turned to face him. "What? I've been stuck in here for a while. I need someone to talk." Shrugging, he pointed ahead of us, and I realized our problem.

"Pretty dark, isn't it? We'll need some light." My phone, I'm conserving the power. So what else could I... huh? A flashlight sat on the table beside me, and I picked it up. Not a normal looking one, but I assume it would get the job done. Flicking it on, we made our way into the darkness.

Gears and gauges whirred around us, and I moved closer to Freddy. The pumps and machinery didn't really scare me, but the loud noises in the pitch black in a haunted building made me more than a little jumpy.

"Ugh. There's ink everywhere." The goo trailed behind me as I accidentally stepped into a large puddle of it in the corner.

"Did you hear that?" I leaned back. I could've sworn I heard something. Like footsteps. Turning to look at Freddy, he shook his head negatively. "Yeah. Me either."

Another Circus Baby. That's not a good sign. "Finally." We stopped at the end of the tunnel, and I carefully tucked the light under my arm and tried to open the door. "Dead end. And I don't see any other way through. You have any ideas?"

Turning back to Freddy, I watched as he lifted a vent up off the floor and proceeded to crawl through it. The gate closed behind him, and after a few seconds, the door creaked open. "Thank you, Freddy."

Sticking my tongue out at the large Bendy head at the end of the hall. "Whoa... how big is this place? I mean, seriously?" They had a toy factory built in here too? A large stuffed Circus Baby doll sat in a corner, and a plush Freddy sat further back under a machine dripping ink into a pool around it.

A headless toy got bumped by my foot, but I was too focused to even give a second thought. " **Heavenly Toys**." Dad never mentioned any of this, and he was very thorough in his stories. Dazed, I walked up to the machine, and read the bottom of the sign. " **Joey Drew Studios?** " That's not right.

Dad worked at Sillyvision. Since when did the name change? Looking over the edge as I climbed a set of stairs on the side, I shivered at the amount of ink. _I may want to consider my career as an artist. Sorry dad._

"Punch in," I smirked, and punched in the card in the slot. Walking into the room, I found yet another problem. "What is it with this place and blocked exits?" Maneuvering around the shelves, I stopped behind a stack of Circus Baby' dolls to press play on a video recorder.

" **I don't be** **seein** **' what the big deal is. So what if I went and painted some of those Baby dolls with a crooked smile? That's sure no reason for Mr. Afton to be** **flyin** **' off the handle at me. And if he really wants to be so helpful, he could be** **tellin** **' me what I'm to be doin' with this warehouse I got full of those angels whatchamacallit. Not a scrap of that mess be-a-** **sellin** **'? Probably have to melt it all down to be rid of it all.** "

Jacksepticeye works here? The Irish accent almost made me want to burst into laughter. I wasn't sure of the whole story of Marie and Autumn, but apparently Sean-or Shawn-didn't like them. You know what? I'm calling this guy Jack, just because. _Is that ink toy... breathing?_ The small pure black toy beside the tape bobbed up and down, and I backed up.

 _That's... definitely not normal._ "So I'm guessing from that clip that I need to turn on the machine. Think I saw the power switch back in the other room." Backing out of the room as fast as I could, I went and pulled the lever. "Right lever, Kronk!"

Gears were jammed though. Looks like I need to fix that too. Jumping up, I began yanking the severed heads of the toys from the cog wheels, allowing them to flow freely. That's not too hard.

"Done," I grinned. "Now to turn it on and move these shelves." Two cranks allowed the cases to move to the right and into the wall, freeing the door behind it.

" **She's quite a gal.** " I frowned at the banner at the end of the room, seeing a door behind the dirty glass. The Angel Sister's cutouts stood on the side, among the barrels and crates. "This... isn't going to be fun." Cautiously, I moved into the room, only for all the lights to switch off, plunging me into darkness.

"Aah!" A quiet but melodious voice came through the old speakers, and small TV screens lit up with Alice's face. The lights on the floor flickered, adding to the terrifying scenario.

"Oh sweet Septiceye, save me now!" I squeaked, trying my hardest to keep myself steady. Now that I listened more closely, it sounded like Marie was... singing. A song about herself. As the song seemed to wind down, the light behind the glass where the door was turned on, earning a cry of alarm from me. "Oh heck no."

I'm about to get jumpscared again, aren't I?

" _ **I'M MARIE DREW!"**_

"Holy!" Screaming, I stumbled backwards and fell onto the floor. There was Alice Angel demonic looking older daughter appeared on the other side of the glass, hands slammed against the pane. Blood was now very visibly smeared on the glass around her, and on herself.

Black inky arms and body that turned into a sickly off-white skin color at her shoulders, a black hole where her left eye was, and large jagged fangs. I almost threw up when I realized that when her mouth moved, thin, gooey lines of ink tried to seal it back shut.

Two short but very pointy horns jutted out from the sides of her head, and her halo looked as if it was half embedded into her head. With a loud roar, the brought her arms back and smashed the glass, turning out all the lights... and taking me out with them.

" **I see you there~ A new fly in my endless web. Come along now, sweet child. Let's see if you're worthy to walk with angels."**

 _Oh, not again._


	13. Meeting Marie Drew

"Ow, my head. What is it with me and getting knocked out?" Pulling myself up off the floor, I shrieked as I saw the shattered glass of where Marie attacked me. That… was no doubt even more terrifying than Circus Baby.

Oh, I am gonna have nightmares for weeks! "I better get moving. Now!" Jumping to my feet, I bolted down a hallway beside me. Lights flickering behind me, I ignored the unsettling doom in the pit of my stomach. "What did she mean, walk with angels…?"

" **The demon. The angel**." The path split, with devil horns on the O in demon, and a halo over the G in angel. "She said walk with angels." Did I want to go down the crazy demon-angel hybrid path, or the inky demon who I know for a fact has been stalking me since I've stepped foot in this studio? "Whatever.

I'm taking the angel route." Throwing my hands into the air, I walked to the right and passed a **"A Sister's Mistake "** poster. An echoing slam came from behind me, and I paused,

"What was that?" Backing up, I leaned around the corner to see that the demon path was gated off. "Huh. Guess that answers my question. Heading back into the room, I looked around. A comfy couch held a small candle, an Marie Drew plush, and a tape recorder.

There was also several storage containers in here, along with an Marie Drew cutout. "Wonder what she has to say." I'm only guessing that whoever was on the recording must've been Marie Drew's voice actor.

" **Everything feels like it's coming apart!** " She bawled. " **When I walked into the recording booth this morning, William was there with that… Autumn.** " The name came out like a growl, and I leaned back from the machine instinctively. She didn't like this Autumn, whoever she was.

" **Apparently, I didn't get the memo. Marie Drew will now be voiced by Miss Autumn Pendle. A part of me died when he told me that. There's gotta be a way to fix this**!"

She sounded angry, and absolutely heartbroken. Not surprising, though. I'd be overwhelmed with sorrow to if someone replaced me without informing me first. Continuing through another door, and heading further into the floor, I allowed my thoughts to wander.

So what have I learned so far? I know that the workers here are either insane (William), guilt-ridden (Marie's voice actress), or wanting to get away as fast as they can (my dad). I still don't know what happened to the other workers, but I pray they didn't turn into what William had become. Ink monsters.

"What was her name again?" I tapped my chin, moving through the steam coming up through the vents in the floor. "Dad mentioned her a few times… Susan, or Sally… Marie!" That was it. Marie Campbell was her name.

Dad spoke of her more often when mom wasn't around. I could tell this was because he used to fancy her when he was first starting out as an animator. Opening the door at the end, I continued walking.

Then there was Circus Baby's weird obsession with me. Either he wanted to make me suffer for as long as he could, or is amazed a girl my age walked in here.

Still, I don't know why he gave me that rag to help clean my arm. I don't think it was anything further than that. _I really hope that she's just a demonic possessed cartoon/animatronic, and not an_ _incubus_ _._ Oh, that idea made me disturbed on so many levels.

"NOT AGAIN!" A Circus Baby's cutout poked its head around the corner at the end of the hall, and I stormed after it. "Circus Baby-! Freddy!?" The bear grinned at me, and I felt the sudden urge to whack him upside the head.

The cutout laid against the wall casually, and its grin… seemed like it was taunting me again. "You freaking gave me a heart attack!" Taking a long and slow breath, I calmed myself. "Don't suppose you've got anything I can use to defend ourselves, do you?"

Freddy nodded, and held out a pipe. "That will work." It was more awkward than the ax, but it had enough heft to it to cause some damage. "Let's move." Opening the door behind him, I stepped into an ink covered room filled with more plushies and Circus Baby's clocks. The ticking bounced around the walls, making me twitch. "Ick."

Nothing to do in here, except this. "Punching in, do do do." No clue why I'm doing this, but why not?" I gave one last look at the three huge Freddy's stuffed animals, and followed after the bear. _Maybe once I find a way out of here, I'll bring one of those with me. Looks comfy._

"Two levers." I stopped in front of the box, with wires leading over to where Freddy was. The bear stood in front of a stone Circus Baby's statue, watching me. "I'll go get the second switch."

The rest of the wires led around the corner of the hall, so that's where I'll go. Making the bend, I slowed my walk. " **The Butcher Gang**." Who were these? Were they, like, the Pete to Mickey Mouse? I crept closer, only for a screaming mutated ink monster to burst through the poster.

"AAAHHHH!" Jumping back in alarm, I hugged the pipe to my chest. The monster fell out of the tunnel it was hiding in, onto its face before limping towards me and why on earth does IT have a WEAPON!? "DIE YOU SUCKA! DIE!" I brought down the pipe repeatedly on its head, dodging its sloppy swings.

With a final blow, it collapsed to the ground. The ink shook, and burst apart, covering the ground where I stood.

"That was… what was that?" That wasn't one of those ink monsters from before. That was… something else. "The switch!" I pulled down the lever, and ran back to Freddy.

Freddy frowned, noticing how frazzled I was. Tilting his head, he walked closer to me and rested a hand on my shoulder. Flinching, I looked up at him, and he smiled calmly.

He still didn't say anything. I'm not sure he could like Marie and Circus Baby. But what he didn't say… spoke more than anything he could have said. _Did that make sense? Maybe not._ Smiling back at him, I sniffed, and the Animatronic brought me into a quick, but well-meaning hug. "Thanks, Freddy." Letting go, he patted my head and took off down the newly opened path.

"Thank you," I whispered, and ran after him. The bear's legs were much longer than mine, so he was already past the walls of gears and machinery into a large room with wooden paths going all over the place. "Level K? Ho-how big is this place!?" Passing the washrooms on the side, and not trusting them to be any way decent, I descended the stairs to the main floor.

"Freddy, where are you going?" Freddy stopped in front of a weird machine in the corner, and I stared at in surprise. "An elevator? After all I've been through, I discover one now?" Where was it when I fell down that hole in the beginning? "Ladies first." Stepping in, I backed away from the door as Freddy followed suit. The gated door closed, and I felt ourselves begin to lower.

 **"** _ **You're so interesting… so different.**_ **"** Marie's voice cooed from the speakers in the elevator, and I inched closer to Freddy in reflex. I was capable of taking care of myself, but Freddy provided what little comfort I could salvage in this horror house. _**"I have to say, I'm an instant fan. Looks like you've got a date with an angel!"**_

Uh, no thank you. Sorry, but I prefer my people less… murdery.

 **" _Come to me now. Level 9. Just follow the screams."_** What screams!? I looked up at Freddy, but the bear's face was expressionless. _Does he know something?_ The elevator came to a halt, and the door opened. "Come on, step out of your cage."

Now this level was… yikes, it was something else. Massive pipes ran above our heads, and ink splattered the walls everywhere.

"There's a whole twisted world out here." Walking down the stairs, I swallowed painfully at what I saw at the end. A huge Marie head above a mechanical door, with two gloved hands holding a sign. " **She's quite a gal**!" Well, you got that right!

A garbage can sat on one side of the door, and a weird capsule on the other. The lights built into the floor lit up the entrance, and I stood beside Freddy nervously. "She's… not gonna hurt me, is she?" I asked. Freddy still remained silent, but gave a small shake. "No? That's… good." I didn't sound so sure.

The door cranked on the other end, and it slowly opened. Once the gap got big enough, Freddy ran through the two doors and into the hall. "Wh-hey! Freddy!" Where's he going? Sprinting after the animatronic, I turned a corner where an Marie Drew cutout stood… and froze.

"Good lord." A single spotlight from above shone down on Freddy. **Dead. Freddy**. But-but he was alive! With me… oh no.

Th-there were about a dozen of them. Almost all Freddy, but with a few of the monsters resembling the one I thought earlier. Chests ripped open with their insides missing, and dried ink around their fur and clothes. They… they bled to death. N-no. They were murdered. All of them. They-they were still mounted to the boards, and put up like some kind of sick display!

"F-Freddy?" I looked at Freddy, but stepped back. He glared at the copy, either upset or angry I couldn't tell, but he was mad.

"What is all this?" My voice seemed to crack at the end, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. Freddy had sensed my building panic. "Wh-what happened here?"

He pointed ahead of me, and I looked at a sketchy boardwalk stretching across the inky lake, barrels and crates supported it from underneath.

 _Alright then. Let's… go._ I stepped out onto the walkway, and began moving towards the door slowly, looking at the Freddy' and other monsters beside me.

 _ **"Look around. It took so many of them to make me so beautiful."**_ Wait, THEM!? "Anything less than perfect was left behind." You sacrificed _FREDDY_!? _**"I had to do it. She made me."**_

She made it sound like it wasn't a big deal! What 'she'? Who made you do this!? Think, Marylin! The only females are Autumn and Marie. So, did one of them manipulate the other into killing? This didn't make any sense!

"The path's split." Another board went over to a desk in the corner on a platform, and a tape cassette laid on the top. "Could this have the answer?"

" **Who would have thought? Me having lunch with Michael Afton! Apparently times are tougher than I thought. For a moment there, I thought I'd be stuck with the check. But I gotta say, he wasn't at all what I expected. Quite the charmer. He even called me Marie. I liked it**."

Michael… Afton. Hehe. Heh. Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh course that crazed madman was behind this! He made Circus Baby, and-and Marie was close to obsessed with her character. So… no. N-no. He w-wouldn't have, would he? Did Michael… change Marie into Marie Drew?

"Oh my lord, what is happening here?" Creeping into an open door on the other side, I made my way through the hall, glaring at the **"A Sister's Mistake "** poster and cutout in the corner. Sticking my tongue out at it, I heard screeching. Loud, ragged, screeching. My head spun to look down the hall, and I saw… oh my gosh.

Sprinting down into the room, I slid to a halt in horror. One of the monsters was mounted to a table upright, and was being furiously electrocuted by Marie behind a control panel. The demon-angel hybrid smirked sadistically, and looked ahead of her. She knew I was there though. She knew I had come in.

" **Hm. Now we come to the question…"** what question? I paled, inching back cautiously. **"Do I kill you? Do I tear you apart to my heart's delight? The choices of the beautiful are unbearable."**

Does ANY of what you're saying make sense? Weird Marie-Angel mutant? **"How's a girl to choose? Take this little freak for instance!"** She turned to look at the lesser monster, hissing at it. " **He crawled in here… trailing his tainted ink to my door! It could have touched me! It could have pulled me _back_!"**

What… was that? Her voice… changed, for a moment. **"Do you know what it's like? Living in the dark puddles."** Her voice was slow, threatening. " **It's a buzzing, screaming well of voices!**

 **Bits of your mind, swimming… like… like fish in a bowl!"** Well, she's certainly not sane. **"The first time I was born from its' ink womb, I was a wiggling, pussing, shapeless slug."**

First time. When Michael tried to turn her into Marie the first time, it… didn't work correctly. Glancing behind me, I saw the door was locked behind me.

No available escape options. This could go south very quickly _._ **"The second time… well… _it made me an angel_!"** Describing it the first time, she sounded angry and frightened. Like a scared child. Bit describing her second transformation… she sounded content, even finishing with a girlish sigh.

Her personality was split, between normal Marie and… whatever she was now with Marie. Gulping, I tightened my grip on my weapon. If she was about to take me out, I wasn't going without a fight.

" **I will not let the demon touch me again."** Wh-demon? Does she mean Circus Baby, or Michael? " **I'm so close now. So… almost perfect."** Honey, you look nowhere near perfect! **"Yes, I will spare you, my child."** Marie finally turned to look at me, and my stomach flipped.

That-that's good. Not dying yet. But, I am really not liking that look she's giving me. **"For now. Better yet… I'll even let you ascend and leave this place. If you do a few eensey weensey little favors for me first."**

"F-favors?" I squeaked. Marie seemed a little surprised I actually spoke. Was she expecting me to remain quiet the entire time? I at least said something when I was captured by William.

Chuckling, she nodded mockingly. **"Return to the lift my little errand girl. We have work to do!** " Nodding, I heard the door open behind me, and metal shades dropped down to cover the window.

The screeching continued, no doubt the monster being electrocuted again. Making my way back out of the hall, I avoided looking back until I finally was back in the corpse room.

Freddy's dead around me, gutted for Marie's use. Torturing the monsters. The speculation of Marie being changed into Marie Drew by Michael Afton, and that Michael himself is the demon.

This may just be speculation on my part, but does that mean… that what I thought was Circus Baby chasing me around all day was MICHAEL!?


	14. Beware the Ink Demon

Errands. The psycho hybrid wanted me for errands.

It was hard, pushing my theory about Michael and Circus Baby to the back of my mind, but I had more to focus on right now. I didn't know if it was true or not, so it was best not to think about it.

Making my way back outside of her inner sanctum, a wooden beam fell down across the path that led me back through the cut me door closed behind me, and I backed away to look up at the large Marie head. " **I'll make this simple. Look for valve panels. Turn the little wheels. Then bring me their power cores,"** Marie instructed over the is she talking to me like I'm five? **"Please don't make me regret sparing you, child. I can always change my mind."**

"Yes, ma'am," I responded. Looking at the capsule beside me, I saw Alice had sent up a plunger. Why this? How does a plunger help turn wheels? Wouldn't a-a wrench, or another tool be more useful?Whatever. Best not to complain. I laid the pipe down, and picked the new weapon. "Toilets don't stand a chance against me." Time to go to work.

 **"There are so few rules to our world now. So little truths."** Marie's voice flowed through the room as I made my way upstairs. " **But there is one rule we all know and respect down here."**

"Rule?" I opened a door, and froze as Marie's next words sunk in.

 **"Beware the Ink Demon."**

"… crud."

 **"Stay out in the open for too long and she will find you. For if you see her, you'd better hide."**

"Double crud!" I whacked the plunger against the wall in frustration.

" **If you don't, well, I enjoyed our date."** So if I live or die, she doesn't really care. Perfect! **"Now, let us begin our work."** Moving through into the next room, I began ascending the staircase beside sucks. Why did dad have to be an animator? Why couldn't he work as a mattress salesman or-aw, heck no!I jumped back as an ink monster, one of the blobs like I saw in the music department, lunged at me.

"They've gotten faster!?" I shrieked, banging it across the head until it broke apart. "How is THAT fair!?" Next floor! Running up to the next landing, I blinked at the couch with a Freddy's plush on the table. "... you're coming with me!"

With the toy tucked in my vest pocket, I continued upwards, killing another monster along the way. "Split path. Up the stairs, or down the inky hallway?" I walked forward. "Or down the other path behind the stairs?" This seemed more promising.

The door creaked open, and I frowned at the messages written on the wall. **"I don't want to work here anymore."** Sounds like something Wally would write. **"She will set us free"** was just farther down the hall, making me sidestep into the room away so my line of sight was anywhere but there. "So, floor P." I chimed in on the punch machine, and looked at the elevator shaft behind me. "Guess I've got no choice but to head further in."

I walked towards where the other writing was, but I stopped in the middle of the room. "Was there… something in there?" My head turned to the right, and I jumped back in alarm. Another one of those beasts like the one Marie was torturing was laid out on a table in the room. "Yeesh!" Grimacing, I walked down the hall again, snapping a monster's head backwards with a well-aimed blow. "Is it a bad thing I'm getting so good at this?"

Right turn and open the door… it's gone. Monster's gone. Where'd it go? I shuffled over to the table, and waved the plunger over it. "It's not invisible," I noted. "So… where is it?" It couldn't have gotten out of here so easily. The windows were cracked, but they weren't shattered.

"… next room!" Ain't staying in here! Running to the room on the far left, I opened the door only to have another blob lunge at me. "Whoa!" Its claws managed to rip at my vest, placing four long skinny holes on the side. "This was my good vest!" Death befell it not long after that, and I continued wandering around.

"Now, am I just gonna keep walking around aimlessly, or am I finally gonna run into-the pipes!" Yes! Finally! Running over to the three valves, I put the plunger under my arm and began adjusting the ink level of each one. The hatch beside them popped open, letting me take the part from inside. "One down. Three left. I wonder if I can bring up the elevator."

It would save so much time, instead of taking the stairs. "Boop!" Pressing the button, I watched the large machine slowly move up through the building. Once it reached me, the gate opened, and Freddy smiled at me. "Freddy!" Running in, I gave the cartoon a hug. "There you are! I was so worried that something took you!" I let go, and put my hands on my hips. "You know, it would've been a good thing to let me know about Alice!"

Freddy frowned, and gave me a puppy eyed look. If he could make noise, I'm sure he'd be whining looks so adorable!"I'm sorry, Freddy. It's just… I'm under a lot of stress right now," He nodded, and I reached behind me to press the button to take me to the next floor, and we began moving again. "Freddy? Is… Circus Baby a good person?"

Freddy seemed conflicted with my answer, so I shrugged it off. "It's alright. I'm sure I'll get the answer eventually." The machine came to a halt, and I stepped out as the door closed behind me. "I'll be safe, Freddy. Just… don't get killed." Boris nodded, and I began moving forward.

Level 11. I patted the toy Freddy's head, and looked around, and whacked another ink monster's head off. Opening the door to the right, I turned down a blocked hall to find a radio beside an old bass drum and a row of cellos. "Wonder what song this plays." It had a catchy beat to it, like a swing. Creepier than the other songs I've heard so far, but not bad. "What a random encounter."

I climbed the stairs behind me, and was about to make another turn until I heard growling behind me. "What the-AH!" Some deformed ink monster, like the one Alice was torturing had crept up behind me. It must have been another Butcher Gang member. It had some weird mechanical arm, and it kept firing forward, trying to knock me out. "Aahhh!" It took four hits for it to finally go down.

Thankfully, its arms were too short to reach me and it had no weapon, but that didn't stop it from flinging its head at me. Panting, I glanced up the stairs before shaking my head. "You know, I think I'm gonna explore downstairs some more. Not like I'm scared or anything."

I wasn't. Nope, not one bit… don't judge me.

Heading back through the door. I moved to the end of the hall and found a Circus Baby's cutout beside a small river of ink. "Yes! More valves!" With the plunger under my arm, I cranked the wheels until the flow was equal again, and grabbed the part from the box. "Two more. Oh, I hope she doesn't have many errands for me to do."

At least the ink only went to my knees and not my waist. Wadding through down the hall, I almost turned the corner until a bright flash had me scrambling behind two barrels. It was… tall and inky.

Like William was, but it had no head. It's entire top was a flickering projector. Crawling back onto the dry floorboards, I crept to the window and peered nervously at it. It had something attached to its back, but its shadowy form made it almost impossible to see. It moved out of my field of vision, and I heard a door slam. "Ain't going after that thing. Nope!"

The… Projectionist. The thing deserved some title. "Making my way downtown, walking fast." I marched back to the elevator, and hit the K button. "Probably gonna walk faster," I mused.

 **"Have you met her?"** Marie spoke, the first time since I had left her area. **"The Ink Demon? They say she hears everything."** Not surprising. If it was her, he would've heard… all of my comments to the cutout. So if she DID give me the rag... why? " **Every creak of the floor. Every rustle of paper."** "Whoa!" I launched the plunger at the Butcher Gang monster, it's head dangling from a pole jutting out from its body. " **I wouldn't run so fast if I were you. You never know what will draw her in."**

I don't like this. I don't like this at ALL. Making my path up the stairs, I smirked as I ended up knocking the ink blob off the balcony, making it explode as it hit the floor. "This is where I started," I realized. "Wasn't there a pipe system where the giant Freddy dolls were?"

There was. Three down now. "Where else could the last one be?" I asked, sticking it into my pocket. The pluses of my artistic weirdness is that my pants and vest pockets were huge. Standing beside Freddy again, I glared ahead of me, arms crossed. Back to level 9 and up the stairs to the side.

"I feel like this gonna get stupidly repetitive," I mumbled. "I'll have so many useless jobs to do for no particular reason, and it's gonna involve so much backtracking I'm gonna lose my freakin' mind! Screw it!" I bashed the plunger down much harder on an ink blob, venting my frustrations. "I hate this!"

I kept climbing, and I was half-certain if I was a cartoon steam would be coming out my ears. Wait. Is that…!? "Ha ha! Yes! Finally!" Last valve found! Mission accomplished!

 **"You're quite the efficient little errand girl, aren't you?"** Marie commented. " **Despite that… attitude of yours."** So, she was listening in on me. How… much though? What did she pay attention to?I… I don't think I wanna at level 11, I hit the button.

"There was a time people knew my name," Alice lamented as Freddy and I headed back to level 9. "' **It's Marie Drew'! They'd say. Feels like so long ago. But those days can come back. Dreams come true, Marie."** she whispered to herself. **"Dreams come true."**

"Marie and Marie Drew really are the same person." Freddy nodded, and put his hand on my shoulder. "Freddy… what happened to this place? Dad… Mike… he used to love working here. How could everything, all of this, have fallen so low?" He shook his head, and how I wished the bear was capable of speech. As the elevator stopped, I walked out quietly and to Marie's door. Holding out the four power cores, I deposited them into the chute on the right, and tossed the plunger in after it.

" **My** **machine's are hungry. Gather me some spare parts!"** Marie barked. Gee, lady, couldn't you say please at least? Holding back my tongue, I took the wrench from the capsule and stormed down the … spare parts… would gears work? Let's find some of those. She told me to stop after I found four batteries, so four gears should be enough.

"I wonder… how much weight is in this." It had more heft than my pipe from earlier, and the plunger too. As I climbed the stairs again, I stopped at a vent, and grinned. "Uh-wah!" With one hand, I brought the weapon back and smashed it as hard as I could, leaving a large dent in the metal. "Hehe. Hehehehe! Perfect!

"Ha ha ha! Eat this, you Searchers!" I gleefully killed two of them back where I found the 'no longer working here' message. "Your mother was a ballpoint pen!" Opening the compartment above my head on the wall, I frowned. "Empty. Hmm… I think there was another box in the room on the left."

My luck must've been improving, as I happily took the gear out from the box and tucked it away. "One down." Heading out of the room, I almost jumped in excitement as I took another one out of a box heading back up the stairs. "Let's see if I missed anything in the Projectionist's room." With the monster missing, it was safe now to enter. Wading back through the inky river after getting on the right level, I poked around in the area. "Nothing. Huh?" I looked through the window, and saw on one of the barrels in the ink an audio machine. "I missed one?" Weird.

Moving back out of the room, I moved to the barrel and hit play. I was ready to listen to either a depressed worker, or another rant. What happened next… I was in no way prepared for.

The walls started crawling with ink, and the entire area began to plunge into … she's found into the other room, I threw myself into the box in the corner, shutting the door as fast as I could. Breathing heavily, I bent into a ball, leaning as far away as I could from the peep hole.

Don't find me. Don't find me. I've had no reason to anger you. I don't even belong here. Don't find me. Don't find me. DON'T FIND ME! The ink trails seeped into the room, and I whimpered as a tall black shape entered, only feet from my hiding spot. "Please… leave me alone."

The inky veins slowly began to increase as she stood directly in front of me. She was much taller than Freddy and Alice, and walked with a weird limp. Ink poured from the ceiling, leaving puddles everywhere. Her arms dangled loosely at her side, and she looked around for wherever I could've gone. Turning her head, Circus Baby seemed to continue forward, and headed towards the wall.

A large ink trail gathered in front of him as she got closer, and she walked right through it. She… she traveled through the ink. Lights slowly increased, and the ink spot melted into the wall as if it was never there. As if SHE was never there.

"She's… is she gone?" Voice barely above a whisper, I sat up slowly and looked through the hole. She's… she's gone. Sighing, I let myself practically melt against the wooden … that's… that was terrible.

*CREAK*

I froze as the door flung open, and I shrieked in terror. Circus Baby glared at me, and put her hands on her hips-wait, WHAT!?

This… this wasn't the Circus Baby I just saw! She's... she looks-Normal... e-exactly like her cutouts. "Y' know, kid," Circus Baby started, voice laced with annoyance. "You really should be playing this game of yours by the book." She leered, making me shrink back even further. "Hell knows what would happen if you strayed any further."


	15. The Demon

Circus Baby… was s-standing right in front of me. Circus Baby. The Demon herself was leering at me, and my heartbeat spiked alarmingly. "C-Circus Baby…!?" I squeaked.

The short cartoon nodded, her perma-grin stretching even further. "… NOPE!" I brought myself up, grabbed the door, and slammed it shut in her face.

The door immediately flung open again, and the off-white gloves reached in and grabbed my shirt collar.

"Not so fast, kiddo." With a yank, I was dragged out of the hideout and onto my knees. Circus Baby still held on tightly, her green eyes glinted maliciously. "You don't wanna go runnin' into her again, do ya?"

Mouth closed, I quickly shook my head. I wasn't trusting myself with words, fearing I'd say something I'd regret.

"Good girl. Now! Are you gonna listen, or do I have to take drastic measures?" _What do you mean drastic measures!?_ I didn't want to know, or find out. Nodding slowly, Circus Baby dropped me, and I supported myself with my hands on the floor.

"Who… are you?" I panted, rubbing my throat. "I-I thought that thing earlier was-"

"Me? Why would I lower myself to that mistake's level?" Circus Baby asked, visibly insulted. "I definitely have got more brains than she has. Not to mention, better looking too."

Circus Baby fixed her bow, and I rose a brow. Mood swing, much? "Y'know, this is usually the time where you'd introduce yourself."

"M-Marylin. M-Marylin S-Schmidt," I stuttered. "But… I'm certain you already knew my last name. You were the one… watching me, weren't you? Not that beast that keeps attacking me." Circus Baby nodded, and patted my head.

"Got it in one, pal. You must've figured it out for a while though. After all, you kept talking to me through my cutouts and cartoons." STALKER! "Besides, you've seemed to enjoy talking to me to keep yourself from losing your little mind even further!"

"I didn't think anyone else was in here with me." I finally managed a sentence without stuttering. "Then this means you did give me that rag for my arm when I got hurt." I looked to my arm, seeing the cloth poke out from under my shirt sleeve.

"Why? Why are you looking after me? Gonna use me in another one of this studio's sadistic occult rituals, like the others did?"

Whoops.

I'd said something I'm gonna regret.

Ink dribbled down Circus Baby's forehead, masking her eyes. _She's_ _ticked_. "Get this through your thick head, human. I am NOT aligned with those workers. I don't go around killing people without a reason and I am definitely no ink god.

I ain't working for anyone but me. Just because I'm a devil clown, don't automatically make me evil. GOT IT?" Circus Baby crouched down, and we were roughly eye to eye.

"You must've already seen what happened to Marie and William, right? I hate what the creators have done to us, and obviously, they need to pay. But I had no role in turning them into that.

"That," she chuckled darkly, "was someone… and something… much more twisted than I am."

"And… Michael?" I hesitantly asked. Circus Baby wiped the excess ink from her face, and looked away.

"Kid, I'm gonna spare you the nightmares for now. You don't wanna know about Michael… not yet, anyway." Sighing, she turned back to me.

"Same with the dame. It'd be better if you don't know how she ended up like that. She's got way too many issues, and between you and me, she isn't too fond of me."

"Okay." We stared at each other, and I was waiting for him to say something else. "Circus Baby? Why are you… what are you? If you're not that guy from earlier, then are you like Freddy?"

"You can say that," she shrugged. "Get up, kid." She took my hand, and pitifully tried pulling me to my feet.

She's… so small. Like, a little over half my height. "Time to get going again."

"You want me to help her with those random errands?" I stood up, and picked up my wrench. "Why?"

"You wanna get yourself killed already?" Circus Baby asked disbelievingly. "Uh…" "Didn't think so. C'mon." We walked out of the room, and stood at the edge of the inky river. "What are you waiting for? Jump in!"

"H… how do I know you're not gonna kill me?" I glanced down at her. "How do I know you won't do me in?" Circus Baby frowned, and slapped a hand to her head.

"You really are dense, aren't you? Girly, let me make this as clear as your little mind can grasp. If I had wanted you dead… I would have done you in the moment you came through that front door." Good lord, she pulled a Sans.

"You aren't playing how I thought you would." Circus Baby's voice returned to normal, instead of the lower voice that the other Circus Baby used.

"You're trying to keep yourself happy, but it's easy to see you're just a scared, weak, little kid. Even though you've avoided death and major injury, that doesn't mean you weren't avoid it forever." She patted my knee, smirking.

"You need my help. Unless you want to be wandering around here lost, winding down Angel's patience, then shut up and let me follow you."

 _Well_ … _oh_ , _she's_ _right_. I was terrified out of my mind. Who knows how much longer my luck would run. "No use arguing any more, is there? Fine, CB. Let's go get those final two gears."

I trudged through the ink, and kept myself from checking back at the li'l devil. She can tag along all she wants, but I ain't looking at her or acknowledging her presence.

And I most certainly did NOT want to take the elevator. Freddy didn't need to see Circus Baby, and I doubt Circus Baby wants to see yet either. _To the stairs._

Finally exiting out on level K, I quickly batted in one of the Striker's heads. "You know, you COULD help me with this?" I glared at Circus Baby, who had just walked into the room.

"I could, but you're already having so much fun!" Oh, how I wish I could wipe that smug look off her face. "Ink really suits you, kiddo. Then again, I'm only assuming you took after your father and became an artist."

"It's Marylin," I huffed. "And so what if I became a sketch artist? I can appreciate a work of art when I see it." _Like when I was younger, and listened to dad's stories of you and Freddy' cartoons._ Walking up the stairs, I headed back to the toy storage room, and found my third gear. "Why can't you just call me my name? The thing I was born with?"

"Because your traitor of a father gave it to you. Mike was one of the better workers, but he still left. He could have done something. He… he could have done something, to stop Michael from all of this." I frowned, and stopped in the hall further down for the final piece.

"I'm gonna find this all out sooner or later. Uh, you might wanna hide for this part." Circus Baby raised an… does he even have eyebrows? Whatever. She backed into the wall, and soon an inky stain was all that remained of him. _Okay?_ "Marie, I have all four cogs!"

" **Ah, that should be plenty. Return them to me. And try not to die on the way back,"** Marie warned.

"I'll try not to." Circus Baby melted off the wall, and reshaped beside me. "You wanna come along with me to the elevator, or are ya gonna keep stalking me?"

"Stalkin' sounds pretty good," Circus Baby grinned. He followed me back to the elevator cage, and watched as I hit the button.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, pal, so don't go trying anything stupid on my watch. And don't tell Freddy you've found me. Got it?"

"Crystal." Her threat was clear. Even with her smaller size, Circus Baby could easily pull off the same stunts as the other Circus Baby, the giant monster, could. Circus Baby nodded slowly, and crept backwards before disappearing into the wall again.

This time, the ink stain fully vanished, and the cartoon had left me alone. "Phew." The machine came to a halt, and I stepped in next to Freddy. "Hey, Freddy."

" **William said I had talent. He was always a good liar."** Marie spoke to herself again on the PA, and I listened intently. Maybe something she said could help me figure out what was going on. " **Still, he was once a very handsome man."**

"O… kay?" Didn't need to really hear that part. Hopping out of the elevator, I headed across the room to her door. I took out the four gears, and dropped them and the wrench into the box. "There we go."

 **"Have you seen them? The swollen ones!" Swollen ones? "They're just stuffed full of extra thick ink. It makes me sick!"** Yeah, it's making me sick to, hearing you prattle on about it.

" **And yet… it's the perfect thing for keeping myself together. If you're going to catch them, you're going to have to learn to move quietly. Come back to my door. I'll have something that you'll need."**

A giant needle. Well, it's still better than the plunger, I guess. "Okay then, Marylin. We need to get that, hehe, thick ink. Oh my gosh, I can make so many jokes with that." I headed up the stairwell, and entered the room of the ink messages again.

 **"** Be very, very quiet. We're hunting Swollens **."** I whispered with a lisp. _Eat it,_ _Fudd_ _._ When the beast's head was turned, I jumped and dove the needle into its head, killing it. Smirking, I scooped up the remaining ink, and stuck it in my pocket. It wouldn't melt through easily, so it should be safe.

"Thick!" I giggled as I stabbed another one in the workshop part of the room by the table, and then slashed a smaller ink blob close to it. "Two down!"

There's another one. I crept across the hall, and poked my head into the room on the other side. "Thick!" Triple kill! One more left!

I ascended the stairs, and grinned. "I wonder how sadistic this is making me?" Lunging forward, I killed the final Swollen Searcher, and grabbed the ink on the floor.

 **"How sickening!"** Marie shouted. Looks like she agrees with me on how gross this is. **"Makes my skin crawl! But the task is done. Bring me back my equipment, please."**

"On it." I headed towards the elevator, but paused to look at the Circus Baby's cutout. "Hmmm. I wonder…" I aimed the needle towards the top of cutout's head, and pressed it against it sharply.

"Hey! Watch where you're aimin' that, kid!"

"AH!" I spun on my heels, and dashed towards the cage. Ramming my palm against the button, I threw myself into the box the moment the door opened. "Save me, Freddy! SAVE ME!"

The cutout flopped to the ground, and I watched as it turned back into a 3D Circus Baby. Lifting her head off the floor, she gave me a twisted smile. "Havin' fun, kid?"

No.

No, I wasn't.


	16. Here's Baby

**"Once upon a time, there was an angel. And she was beautiful. And loved by all. She was perfect. No matter what Michael says."**

Yeah, Afton seems to be saying a lot of things. Not much of them nice and pleasant. _Something seems… off, about this._ It's too quiet. "Freddy?" I turned to look at my bear companion and frowned. The cartoon was holding his head in fear, knees buckled and shaking madly.

"Freddy, pal, are you alright?" He shook his head, and I looked at Marie's entrance worriedly. "I'll make this quick, then you take the lift to a different level." Peering out through two of his fingers, Freddy nodded.

Making my way to the deposit box as fast as I could in a walk, I grimaced pulling the thick lumps of ink from my pockets. "Gross. But in you go." Dropping them and the needle into the shoot, I stepped back anxiously.

Freddy… he couldn't have known about Circus Baby, could he?

 **"You see those grinning demons? Let's remove them, shall we?"** The cutouts? Well, I'm not entirely sure how Circus Baby's gonna feel about that. Not the murderous one, but the short and snappy one. She felt everything I've done to the standees while possessing them.

 _Judging from giving me a heart attack after poking one with the needle,_ I thought. _No wonder the_ _cutoffs_ _felt warm sometimes._ This won't end well. "I've got just the tool to make this even more enjoyable."

The ax is back. Hehehe. Perfect.

"Time to ax those cutouts a question." Oh, yes, the puns are back. _Maybe I can reach places I haven't gotten to before!_ There was a door by the elevator boarded up, right? Glancing at the elevator, I noticed that Freddy had heeded my advice and moved to a new area.

"Alrighty then. Let's do this. Hiya!" Bringing it down in the familiar motion from before, I chopped the boards… and the ink monster hiding inside. Figures.

" **They say, uh, the real problem with Mr. Afton is that he never actually tells us little people anything. Oh sure, according to him there's always big stuff coming, adventure and fame and the like. But, uh, I'm the guy, see, who has to make sure our budgets don't go out of whack just 'cause genius upstairs went out and got himself another idea. Speaking of which, and this is top secret, apparently Mr. Afton has another large project in mind now… and it ain't gonna be cheap."**

Blinking in surprise at the recorder, my brain let the wheels kick into high gear. _Project… could he mean the ink machine? Or could it have something to do with what's happened to the studio?_ "Just keep walking, Marylin. Just keep on walking."

You know, this adventure I'm going through would make an awesome video game. Although, I could do without the silly errands Marie is putting me through. Good jumpscares though.

"I'm gonna get old, going up these stairs." How many times have I done this already? "First Circus Baby." Finding it in the room where the THICK ink monsters were, I poked it for a second before chopping it down. I really didn't want to accidentally hit Baby when she was inside it following me.

Didn't need her attacking or scaring me like before.

"That's all on this floor, I think. Time to move on. Oh, wait." I chimed in on the machine, and smiled. "Another day, another dollar." Or another nickel, if you're Squidward.

This place… it's backstory is a mystery. A mystery I'm intent on solving. I feel like I'm getting there. It's almost in front of me, but Circus Baby and everyone else is keeping it hidden.

But why? What happened? Why did Michael do all of this? How did Marie and William end up like that? Destroying the second cutout from where I first ran into Circus Baby, I mumbled to myself. "So many questions, so little time."

Hopping out at the top floor, I killed a searcher-which is what I'm calling the living blobs now-and the wrench guy. "I remember seeing one of them here… seriously?" Circus Baby's grin earned an annoyed sigh from me.

The cutout was on the other side of the stairwell, and the only way to reach him was by calling up Freddy. "Fine then. Have it your way… jerk."

I'll keep moving. He'll suffer last. _Up the stairs, and through the halls, to hack_ _Circus_ _Baby's_ _face we go!_ I giggled, passing through the toy room and striking down the third image. "Whoa!" Dodging a swing from a searcher, I sliced through its torso with practiced ease. "Now to have him suffer my womanly wrath."

Sliding down the railing, I hopped off the end, laughing. Freddy gave me a weird look, and I shrugged. "Can't I try to find a little enjoyment in this nuthouse?" He copied my shrug, and I walked past him to the cutout. "You might wanna move if you're in there, pal," I whispered. Raising the ax, I brought it down on Circus Baby's head, slicing her in two from the middle. "Heh."

" **Ah, now that was fun!"** Marie sighed. " **Oh! But I forgot to mention… she hates it when I do that."** Wh… what? "I would hide if I were you."

WHAT!?

Immediately, the entire room turned into the same, inky design as the smaller room had done when she came in, and I stumbled back in alarm. "F-Freddy! Get outta here, now!" Freddy nodded from within the cage, and lunged at the button.

The doors closed, and I watched him move to a lower floor. I needed to hide. NOW! Shoes slipping on the wooden boards, I ran to the box and dove inside. Closing the door, I breathed deeply, back against the wall.

 _Not again. Please… don't find me!_ Bendy limped his way down the stairs, and trudged across the floor in front of me. " **I kNow YoU aRe in hEre, ScHmIdt**." Oh lord, he knows my name. Baby… Michael? He… knows my name.

" **CoME oUt, CoMe Out, WhereEvRe yOU Are."** Looking around, he shook his head in mock disappointment. " **FiNe tHen. UnTIL NexT TimE."** Circus Baby walked to the wall beside the box, and melted through the wall. The tendrils slowly vanished, and I sighed. "F-finally. She's… she's getting better. She almost got me that time."

"Yeah, kiddo. You really screwed up there, didn't cha?"

"AAHHH!" Screaming, I jumped from my seat, and fell through the door, onto my face. "Merrr… B-Baby…?"

Circus Baby tapped her foot on the floor, arms crossed with that annoyed look on her face again. "Why did you go along and destroy my windows? You wanna make it harder for me to watch over ya?"

"She wanted me to," I frowned. "You wanted me to go against the psycho hybrid?"

"No, but still, at least you gave me a warning when you cut it down." So she was in the one on this floor. Circus Baby huffed, and stuck out a hand. "Get up, bud." Taking her gloved hand, I got to my feet. "You know she ain't done with you yet, right?"

"I figured. What does she want with me? What reason does he have with me, or…" no. Oh, please don't think that… "Circus Baby, does… does she think that it's my dad in here? That I'm… him?" _That… that Michael thinks I'm Mike?_ "B-Baby?"

"Hehe, uh," Circus Baby rubbed the back of her neck, chuckling. "Did you really expect otherwise?"

* * *

 **Author Note: If anyone's curious about what Circus Baby and "Marie" sounds like... I'm thinking of iHasCupquake. Her voice is what I relate to the most.**


	17. Save Me!

"It would have been great if you told me this sooner!" I stormed down the stairs, choosing to walk instead of taking the elevator, Circus Baby following beside me. "What is it with you people being against my dad!? What did he do!?"

"Can't answer that yet either, kid. Sorry." Circus Baby had to jog to keep up with my speed, and frowned. "Slow down, will ya? No one's gonna attack you."

"Then what was all those other times with people wanting to kill me!?" I screeched. I stopped before the entrance from the stairwell to Marie's area. I didn't want to go out there with Circus Baby beside me. Who knows how she'd react to seeing or hearing him.

"That was before I made my grand appearance," Circus Baby grinned. Gee, aren't you full of yourself? "I'll be with you in a bit. Gotta go keep my eye on him for a while. Have fun! Try not to die!" She melted into the floor, and I growled under my breath.

"And who the heck is HIM?" Why can't I get a single freakin' answer from him!? I have never been so confused, and so frustrated, in all my life! Marching down the stairs, I headed to the shoot and dropped the ax in. "Done."

 **"The disgusting wretches have wandered my halls, have gone unchecked!"** Marie yelled. **"They're trying to drag me back to the darkness! Don't let them take your angel! Purge them one by one! Smash them into puddles! KILL THEM!"**

Wow, she has anger issues. Running to where the tools would come up from below, I grabbed my weapon Freddy had given me earlier. "Looks like I'm in for a fight." Spotting the Searchers rise up at the bottom of the stairs, I smirked. "Let's do this." Not like I wasn't covered in ink enough already. Running down, I cackled as I bashed in their heads in.

Not gonna lie, I was starting to enjoy this part of my situation, being stuck down here. I've managed to get faster, and have avoided injury since the music department. Several of those Butcher Gang monsters came down the stairs at the far end of the room, and ran/limped towards me.

Let them come to me. Why bother chasing after them, when they're obviously after me. I managed to knock their weapons away, and chose to aim for their necks. It seemed like the weakest point on the lesser monsters. It was interesting to hear something similar to a faint snapping of bone when I did that... they had no bones, so it wasn't like I actually snapped their necks.

" **So quiet. Like a welcoming grave. I like the silence, don't you?** " It was... soothing. Having nothing trying to kill you. **"I hate leaving work unfinished! Fortunately, I have you to pick up the pieces. But you'll have to go even deeper, my child. Down, down, down into the abyss."**

I thought I explored all there was. What 'abyss'? " **Take the lift down. Say hello to an old friend of your father's."** Wait, what? She knew... how did she know who I was? **"Sending you a little present. I little firepower. Take good care of it. It belonged to someone very special."** Firepower? I wonder what she-oh. Oh, ho, ho! Yes!

A Tommy gun! Finally! Now we're having some real fun! I reached up to grab the weapon, and gasped. The entire machine trembled under my hand before turning into ink in my hand, spilling to the floor at my feet. "Wh-what?" I squeaked.

" **Oops. I forgot. It's a little hard to get a hold of. Oh well. Better luck next time."**

* * *

Marie, you TROLL!

"Argh!" Throwing my hands in the air, I spun on my heels and walked back to the lift. Freddy gave me an amused look, and I stuck my tongue out. "Oh, shove off. How was I supposed to know that would happen?" Sighing, I looked at the panel. "Guess we're going to the one level I haven't reached yet." Level 14.

The elevator slowed a halt, and I stepped out. Patting my toy Freddy on the head from his place in my vest pocket, I tightened my hold on the pipe. Ink was, everywhere. Lining the ceiling, trailing down the walls, and making a sea at the bottom of the stairs.

Thick, goopy, blackness. "What is it I'm supposed to do down here?" I whispered. I stopped, seeing one of the dead ink monsters in the corner, holding a deformed heart. "Okay. That's just gross."

It squelched in my head, and a shiver raced up my back. Ew, ew, ew. Sticking it into my pocket-once again, very glad they're deep-I turned to head downwards. This was a terrifying room, and I wanted out as fast as possible. A flashing light came far below me from a corner, and I instinctively dove behind a barrel.

 **"Shhh... there he is. The Projectionist. Skulking in the darkness."** Ah, capitalization. Not projectionist, but the **Projectionist**. **"You be sure to stay out of his light, if you don't want trouble. Just bring me back the pieces I need."** At least Marie was whispering over the PA. He moved past the towering Circus Baby's stone statue until I couldn't see him again.

"Time to hustle." Creeping down the stairs, I began wading through the chilling black liquid to behind the stairs. Unfortunately, massive pipes prevented me from moving further, forcing me to retreat. "Whoa." I froze, seeing the light bounce off the ink ahead of me until it faded. "Gotta be quiet." He can hear me.

A tape recorder? **"Now I'm not lookin' for trouble. It's just the nature of us projectionists to seek out the dark places. You see, I've learned the ins and outs of this here studio. I know how to avoid being bothered by the likes of this... company. That projectionist, they always say, creeping around, he's just lookin' for trouble. Well trouble or not, I sees everything. They don't even know when I'm watchin'. Even when I'm right behind 'em."**

... N-Norman. Norman Polk. Dad mentioned the man who ran the projections. I recall, back in the music department, hearing one of his tapes describing William. Is he... that monster? N-no. I-I don't get it. Sure, Marie and William, but why him?

"D-don't think about it, Marylin. Just keep going." I was about to head down the left entrance, but I wanted to check to see if there was anything on the other side of the tower. If the right had nothing, then the left might be useful. Knocking down the boards in my way, I reached the other side of the pipes, and spotted a valve on the side.

"Does this even do anything?" I cranked it, and heard something being drained in the distance. "Better check that out once I'm out." Turing around, I headed towards the left entrance, and tilted my head in surprise.

Projections of different clips of a Circus Baby's cartoon played around each hall, and a childish smile crept over me. "Tombstone Picnic." One of my favorites. Ducking around another corner to hide from the towering monster, I continued on. Second heart, ew. Third, fourth. "Are there any more?"

They were all in corners of this maze, making it easy to hide from Norman. I was already covered in ink, and with the bits of white fabric stained, I suited my surroundings. Too much. I did find a fifth heart, hiding behind one of the hiding boxes. "Tell me. Were the still writhing in your hands? Bring them to me now! I don't like to wait."

I didn't want to hurt Norman. William deserved his fate, and so did Marie. Whatever led him to turn into that, he didn't deserve it. He sounded... creepy, but not evil. Or obsessed. Perhaps... he knew too much? He found something he wasn't supposed to? Who knows. But I didn't want to be forced to fight him.

Climbing the stairs, I peaked over the edge, and watched him come out of the maze again. "Sorry, Norman. If dad knew, maybe he would have done something to help you." Norman's projection head lifted up, and I lit up as the light struck me. He didn't move, but he nodded slowly. He... understood. "I'm sorry." I walked away, and opened the cage to step in. Freddy smiled, and patted my head.

"You heard all that, huh? He didn't deserve that." The cage opened, and I grinned sadly. "None of you guys do." But before I did that... I wanted see where that valve connected to. And I think I know where.

When I was running around the studio, there was a hallway and a staircase, blocked by a huge amount of ink. No doubt in my mind, that should be cleared now. "And it is." I stood at the top, staring down at the gooey mess.

With a hand on the wall for support, I walked down. The only thing in here was a recorder sitting on a table in the middle of the room. Why though? Why was this tape hiding from me? Pressing play, I gasped, as a familiar voice came through the crackling speaker.

" **Only two weeks into this company, and already it's gotten interesting. Michael is a man of ideas... and only ideas. When I agreed to start this whole thing with him I thought there would be a little more give and take. Instead I give, and he takes. I haven't seen Mary for days now.**

 **Still, someone has to make this happen. When in doubt, just keep drawing Mike. On the plus side, I've got a new character I think people are gonna love."**

Dad... M-Mike... oh man. Tears dripped down my cheeks, making pale marks against the ink on my face. I'm... so, so close to going home. I need to see him again. I don't even remember walking back to the shoot and disposing the hearts. What character? Why was Michael keeping him there for so long? Why... why didn't you ever tell me anything, daddy?

" **It seems we've reached the end of my to-do list, my little errand girl. I hope you enjoyed our time together**." I definitely learned a lot, so it did help some. **"I'll always treasure it. Return to the lift. It's time to go home."**

That's it? I-I guess it is. There's... not anything holding me back from leaving. But... can I really leave Freddy behind? And what about Circus Baby? In a daze, I moved to the elevator, and entered it. Freddy watched me, and I moved closer to him so he could hug me.

"If it's possible, even in the slightest, I would like you to come home with me." Freddy blinked in shock, and I giggled.

"I'm certain Mike would love to meet you. My mom not so much, but who really cares what she think." Freddy closed his eyes, and opened them with a firm nod. "If we happen to find anyone else that isn't after my blood, they can come too. I want to save anyone I can find in here."

Circus Baby is coming too. Regardless of her intentions, she shouldn't stay in here. She deserves a life, just as much as Boris and the rest of us do. The elevator began to ascend, and we listened to Marie's voice.

" ** _Have_ _you_ _ever_ _wondered_ _what_ _Heaven_ _is_ _like?_ _I_ _like_ to _dream_ _that_ _it's_ _quite_ _beautiful_. _A_ _soft_ _valley_ _of_ _green_ _grass_ , _blanketed_ _by_ a _warm_ _sun_. _I_ _don't_ think I'll ever get to see it. _Are_ _you_ _ready_ to _ascend_ , _my_ _little_ _errand_ _girl_? _The_ _heavens_ _are_ _waiting_?"**

The floors moved past, and soon Marie began to giggle. What? The giggles quickened, and melted into laughter. Evil, twisted laughter. And then... it happened.

The elevator began to plunge back down.

" _ **Did**_ **_you really think I'd let you steal from me!? Did you really think I'd just let you go!?_** " Freddy gripped me tighter, and we stumbled to our knees as gravity doubled down on us. Sparks appeared where the corners of the elevator were, stinging our skin and fur. _**"No, Marylin! I know who you are! And I know why you're here!"**_

She heard me. She heard me talking to Circus Baby. " _ **And you will not stop what needs to be done! Now come down and BRING ME BACK MY FREDDY!"**_ Freddy had frightened tears running down his face, and I gripped him harder in a panic.

What did she need him for!? She already killed all of those other Freddy'! **_"_ _It's the most perfect Freddy I've ever seen and I want it! I need it. I need its insides so I can be beautiful again! Don't you understand!? Don't you get it!? Give him to me!? Or better yet, I'll take him! Once... you're... DEAD!"_**

The elevator crashed to the floor, and I flew forward, cracking my skull against the metal wall.

Blackness began to invade my vision, and I knew I was about to pass out from my injury. Fading in and out, Freddy rushed to my front, and began shaking my head.

His blue eyes begging for me to stay awake. _A... concussion? Everything's all... muffled. That's... not... normal._ I spied something out of the corner of my eye, moving towards us. _M_ _...Marie...?_ I tried to force myself to cry out, to warn him, to say anything! _F_ _-Freddy...! She's... look behind-!_

Too late. Darkness enveloped my vision once more, and when my sight reappeared for a few more seconds before passing out, I saw Freddy being pulled down a never-ending black hallway by the hybrid. _FREDDY...!_ No... no...! St-stay awake! I-I need to save him! I need... I need...

I need help. Head dropped to the floor, and I felt the ink and blood against my skin. _Anyone... Mike... daddy... Circus Baby... help me._


	18. Tombstone Picnic (Cartoon Short)

**Author Note:** **This helps hold over until chapter four's release. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

I giggled, watching the animatronic clown walk merrily across the TV. Black and white cartoons. They were much better than the bright and cherry ones the channels showed. The humor was better, even if I didn't understand most of it. "Daddy, aren't you coming to watch Circus Baby with me?" I called. Dad walked in from the kitchen, sitting down his water glass and smiling.

"Now how did you figure out how to work the VHS player?" He asked, looking from me to the screen. "Is my little girl growing up already?" I beamed at that. Seven years old wasn't huge, but I knew true art when I saw it. Dad was a reti-ti-red restaurant owner/cartoonist. He made things like Circus Baby. That's why I love him so much! Circus Baby and daddy!

"Uh-huh! Watch with me, dad! Please!" I pulled off my biggest doe eyes, pouting my lip for effect. Chuckling, he bent down to pick me up, and sat me on his lap on the couch. He smelled of print and ink. My favorite smell. "Yay!"

"Alright, Marylin. Now let's watch Circus Baby and Freddy." Circus Baby walked along with her picnic basket, only for something to throw her to the ground. It was white, and knobby. Branches and roots didn't look like that.

Circus Baby seemed confused too. Grabbing her leg, she pulled herself free, and brought up a skeleton! Circus Baby stared at it in shock, as it waved its finger in disappointment. Kinda like what I've seen mom do when I did something wrong. The skeleton grabbed the ground, and pulled it back over its head, vanishing.

The screen moved on to the side, and I giggled into my hands. "Freddy!" I cried. "That food is Baby's!" The bear was eating his sandwich, with the picnic blanket all laid out. Circus Baby marched over to him angrily, and tapped his shoulder. Freddy didn't seem to notice, and reached around to pick up the blanket.

Dad laughed along with me as Freddy pulled it out from under Circus Baby, using it to wipe his mouth. Circus Baby marched back up, tapping again on Freddy's shoulder to no success. Circus Baby's eyes widened, and she looked at me. Snapping her fingers, she winked. Was there a joke in between us?

Sneaking into the basket without the bear's knowledge, he pulled out a bottle of soda. Shaking it, he uncapped the contents. Freddy and everything around him flew into the air, and Freddy landed on his bum first. Circus Baby laughed, making an odd whistling noise until Freddy got up.

"Bad Freddy!" I frowned, watching him growl at Circus Baby. Circus Baby ran off screen, and soon the picnic basket landed on Freddy's head. All of the food inside landed around him, and the sandwich fell at his feet. Feeling around for it, he picked it up and began eating it.

Circus Baby scattered into a graveyard, and dove behind a tombstone. Looking around nervously for Freddy, sh didn't notice the skeleton doing the same thing until they locked eyes. Circus Baby ran away from it, and came to a halt in front of a large rock. Knees shaking, she tried to regain her breath.

All of a sudden, a giant shadow crept over Circus Baby, stretching over the rock. Leaning forward, I saw Circus Baby's grin turn bright, before the tape cut out. "Aw, man. Daddy, what happened?" Dad sat me down, and walked over to the TV to take it out. I saw a strand of film sticking out from the box.

"Looks like it ran into a snag, kiddo. I'll try fixing it as soon as I can." Setting it down on the coffee table, he turned around. I took after him more than mom. I had his eye color and hair. All I get from mom is my stub-stub… personality? I think that's what she said. "Why do you like Circus Baby so much anyway, Marylin? There's much better cartoons on air than that old thing."

"Because you made it!" I declared as it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That's why Circus Baby and Freddy are so great. They're funny, and they don't have those weird lessons in them like mom insists on me watching like tying my shoes and knowing numbers. Why learn that when I already knew them?"

"Yes, well, your mom has her… opinions," dad said carefully. "But she loves you." I shrugged, and crawled off the couch. The giant black t-shirt I wore as a nightgown bounced at my knees, and I stood in front of him.

"Not as much as you do." Dad smiled fondly, and scooped me into his arms. As he hugged me, I swung my legs in the air happily.

"You got that right, Marylin. You're gonna be a great artist one day, just like your papa." We laughed, and I wrapped my arms around him as best as I could. "Love you, my little circus demon."

"Love you too daddy."

* * *

 **I just figured I'd show that I'm not dead, and ended up having this pop into my head for what I could do with the cartoon. The Halloween one is still there, so another child Marylin shall appear in the future.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Springtime Bonnie**


	19. Starry Night (Valentine's Day Short)

Disclaimer: The OC Autumn Drew do not belong to me. She belong to my friend LynetteDrewBaker on wattpad.

* * *

"Ash ! Hurry! It's starting!" 16 year-old Marylin called from under my large blanket cocoon on the couch. Mom and Dad was on a Valentine's Day date.

Ash returned from the bed, holding two cups of hot chocolate.

"Here you go, Mary. Remember, it's still hot." I held the mug in my hands, watching the steam drift upwards. Oohing, I blew on the liquid before taking a sip.

"Thanks, Ash ! Oh, it's starting!" Freddy, clad in suit, was on a date with Circus Baby as Valentine music played in the background.

One of the bench tables was decorated romantically as the angel sister, Marie and Autumn were the servers, dressed in professional waitress outfits. Circus Baby giggled as Freddy led her to the table.

The two sat down as Marie pulled out a bottle of apple cider. She poured some in each of their wine glasses and then put it in ice.

Autumn waited for Marie to grab one as they brought over trays of food to them and took the lid off them.

Circus Baby gasped again. It was spaghetti and meatballs, with salad on the side.

After eating, Marie played some romantic music on her harp.

Freddy stood up and gently as she took his hand and they began dancing in sync with one another.

After a few minutes, Freddy put his forehead against Baby's, rubbing their noses together.

Freddy went on one knee before her, making Ash and Marylin gasp. "Wha- what is he doing?"

"WHAT?" Marylin yelled.

Freddy smiled and opened the red velvet box, revealing a petite silver ring, with a small pink diamond on it.

Ash realized it was a Promise Ring and telling Marylin what it was.

Circus Baby nodded through her tears, watching as Freddy let out a breath of relief and put the ring on her left ring finger. Freddy stood to his feet.

After the cartoon end, Marylin grabbed her boyfriend by his shirt collar and pulled him towards her, pressing his lips against hers in an almost violent manner.

She could tell Ash was shocked; she could feel his face heat up against hers. But his shock quickly subsided, and he wrapped his arms around her waist in order to return the kiss.

That simple surprise kiss quickly turned into a heated make out session.

At some point he felt brave enough to slip his tongue into her mouth, to which she responded by doing the same.

She fell back onto the bed, pulling him on top of her without disconnecting their lips.

"Marylin sweetie, were home ear-"

They immediately froze and slowly turned their heads towards the now open door.

Where Marylin's father stood grasping the doorknob looking absolutely stunned by the sight of his daughter in her bra making out with her childhood friend in a very suggestive position.

His shock quickly turned into pure rage, his face and eyes turning red.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"No-nothing, Mr. Schmidt!" Ash stuttered as he stumbled to get off of Marylin, falling off the bed in the process.

"We were just working on a school project and watching cartoons! A-and I was actually about to leave! I just remembered my mom asked me to pick up my sister from school!"

He passed Mike as he walked out the door, the angry dad watching him like a hawk, and as soon as he was sure the he wasn't looking at him, he brought his hand up to his ear only with his thumb and little finger extended and mouthed the words 'call me' to Marylin before rushing down the stairs.

Mike stared down at his daughter with his arms crossed, looking rather displeased with the teenager.

"What do you have to say to yourself?" he asked in a stern tone.

Marylin hopped off of the bed walked up to her father, resting her right hand on the side of the door as she maintained eye contact with her father.

"You should've knocked." She replied before shutting the door on Mike's face.


	20. Chapter 4 - Colossal Wonders

"W... u...! C'mon, k...! Wa... up!" A sharp stinging against my cheek jolted me awake, and I blearily blinked up at the last face I would've imagined seeing.

"About time!" Circus Baby huffed, stepping back. "Thought you'd be out until the cows come home!"

"B-Baby...?" My voice was soft, and my head was pounding. No doubt, that was from the... the crash. _Oh_ _cr_ _-_ _Freddy_! I tried to jump to my feet, only for the world to turn sideways and allow myself to fall onto my side with a thump. "Ah!"

"Well, what do ya expect? You banged your head pretty hard on that fall of yours," she commented, walking around to get into my line of sight again.

Looking over my shoulder, I let my head to turn around to see what he was staring... oh.

The elevator was thrashed. The metal bars that once held me and Freddy safely were bent and twisted, with the ceiling of it caved in.

A faint trail of smoke drifted up from where the sparks were created along the edges from where it screeched against the walls of the studio, surprising me in how no fire was created from the crash.

Ink continued to drip from the ceiling in various spots of the ceiling, and from a quick at a nearby sign, I was on floor S.

"You... why didn't you tell me the elevator was unstable!?" I hissed at the demon, grasping out at the edge of the machine to hoist myself up. My legs shook under me, but I had to stand.

I had to keep moving. Staying in the same spot would me my death by Inky... and Freddy' butchering by Marie.

"What're you blamin' me for!? You and I both know Marie isn't exactly the sweetest angel on the planet!" Circus Baby replied back with a snark.

"There's no way in hell she'd have let you make off with Freddy! Besides that, it might have been wise of ya to have listened to Grant's recording that you missed earlier!" The demon pulled out said device from out of nowhere, making me open and close my mouth in shock.

Wh-where did she even get that? She didn't have pockets.

 **" _These blasted elevators...sometimes they open...sometimes they don't...sometimes they come...sometimes they keep on going to hell and back. I keep telling these people, if Mister Michael Afton keeps cutting corners like this, someone's sure to end up falling to their death. And it sure ain't gunna be me. I'm taking the stairs."_**

I stared at the recording in his hands as she went to put it on a crate in the corner, and growled in frustration.

"Excuse me, for not paying attention to every single little detail in this madhouse!" Dusting off my vest, I began to walk down the new hallway.

Err... it was more like a limp. The impact scrambled my head, and my ankle wasn't up to par just yet. I was tired, and sore, and just wanted to sleep. But now was not the time. Now was definitely not the time.

"Now, if we're done talking, there's a bear in need of rescue."

"Hold up there, kid." Circus Baby jogged over to me, keeping in sync with my slowed pace as I kept a hand on the wall.

"I like Freddy, I do, but the guy's just one in several copies in the studio. If the angel's got him, then poof. That's it. There ain't any use huntin' down a dead bear walkin'."

"Then y-you're... you're just as heartless as Michael is." I knew I was treading on eggshells around the demon, but I'd enough of her attitude, and thinking she was all that and a bag of chips.

If she insisted on tagging along with me, on keeping an out for my health, then she had got to get off her high horse and care for someone other than herself for once.

"If you keep saying you're nothing like them, then you wouldn't keep trying to project yourself and help the other people trapped in this place. I don't care if it's a suicide mission. Didn't you think I didn't realize the danger I was throwing myself in the moment I intercepted dad's letter? He may just be one Freddy, but he's my Freddy. My friend, and if it was me in his situation, then he'd go and save me to. Y-you guys were my childhood heroes, after all..."

I had zero clue where that admission came from. Either it was from the impact to my head, or the ink fumes, but now... now I was being truthful to Circus Baby.

The demon's previous narrowed eyes widened in astonishment, not expecting that line. To be honest... neither was I.

"You guys... I grew up on dad's stories of him working in the restaurant, and watching old tapes of your cartoons. It was... you guys were the reason I chose to become an artist." My expression then hardened, and I trudged forward before making a right turn at a fork.

"Look. I-I don't care if you like me or not, and I don't care if you think my goal is pointless. But I am rescuing Freddy, and we're getting out of here. Freddy, me... and anyone else who is in need of saving."

With that, I finally left the cartoon behind, and headed to whatever new area lied before me. _I'm sorry, Baby. But you needed to hear the truth._ "Hang on, Freddy. I'm coming."

She really was like her old man. I watched the raven haired girl disappear around the corner, before melting back into the wall and traveling on ahead.

She was too stubborn for her own good. Yet... yet her heart was all in the right place.

Still though, it was only a matter o' time before that heart got ripped out of her chest for all the studio to see. Heart, intestines, the whole shebang.

"Oh boy." Sighing, I rose up from my puddle just on the other side of the vaulted door. The kid would be opening that up any time now, after getting the needed part from Grant's room.

Hoped she didn't listen to that tape about Grant. Her nerves were already fried enough as it was. _Hearin_ _' that is the last thing she needs._

 _So, she wanted to go_ _huntin_ _' down an angel, huh?_ Oh, I was gonna regret this.

"Hehe... well, who am I not to give her a hand, like the good demon I am?" The door creaked open, signaling the lights on the ink statues behind me to turn on.

The girl's head poked in, and she stared down at me with a raised brow; a tight lipped look greeted me. _She did. She listened to it._

"Alrighty, toots. You twisted my arm." I stepped forward, adjusting my tie with a glare.

"You better not get yourself killed for him, got it?"

Her face was still set in a small frown, but I would call it a win when the corners of her mouth fluttered up slightly. "Got it, Bsby."

The banner overhead, "She will set us free", never seemed more haunting. The frozen inky statues of people that were clearly in pain felt like ice was doused over my insides, chilling me to the bone.

Books lined the shelves farther to the back, and the spotlights flickered on and off, casting shadows around the room. "Baby...?"

"Just ignore them." His hand wrapped around me, and he led me around the stage.

"This way's where you wanna be focusin' your attention." A circle of shelves was in the middle of a round room, equally lined with books. At the far end was a closed off door, with 5 light bulbs attached to a plate above it.

"Just find the books needed to turn all of those on."

"Bet they're related to you," I mused, earning a small chuckle. Stepping into the center of the room, I spotted a recorder on a table with a few books and an empty can.

"Hmm... I'm gonna regret this one."

 **" _They told me I was perfect for the role. Absolutely perfect. Now Michael's going around saying things behind closed doors. I can always tell._**

 _ **Now he wants to meet again tomorrow, says he has an 'opportunity' for me. I'll hear him out. But if that smooth talker thinks he can double cross an angel and get away with it, well, oh he's got another thing coming.**_

 _ **Marie, ooh, she doesn't like liars."**_

"Figured it was her." The static shut off, and I glanced over to Baby.

"So, where's these books, exactly?" Baby's grin stretched, and she pushed a book with an image of herself on it back into its rightful place behind her, having been sticking out before.

A small sound, like the start up of electricity came from behind me, signaling a bulb turned on. "Four more."

Stepping outside of the ring, I pushed one further up the wall, and continued to circle around it. Baby had moved over to the door, choosing to watch me do the odd job myself.

Finding a third one, I smiled as I pushed it in... and gave a terror-filled screech.

Orange lights flashed in my eyes, as the chandelier above the table swung back and forth dangerously.

The room was shaking, and I stumbled backwards to cling to the bookshelves, knocking a few novels onto the floor.

As fast as it all happened, it stopped. Blinking back what just ran through my head, I looked around. N-nothing. Nothing at all.

"Wh-what the heck was that?" I breathed faintly. W-was that all in my head? Wa-did I finally start to lose my mind in there?

"Uh, kid? You doin' alright?" Baby wandered over to me, and after sparing a quick look to the books at my feet, looked back to my pale face.

"I-I... I don't know. Heh, ah, I... I really don't know." Pulling myself back up, I clutched my heart under my vest and shirt, feeling the booming through my ribs. It was beating so loudly, ever since I entered the studio. Now, I didn't think it had slowed down since.

"B-Baby, could you... find the two other books?"

"Sure. Just try and get your head screwed back on, okay? I don't need you losing your marbles already." Baby moved on past me, but not before latching onto my right wrist. She guided me back into the center of the room, moving the chair by the table out from under the chandelier before forcing me down in it.

"Stay." She backed up, still keeping an eye on me before going off in search for the final two books. The passageway opened up not a few seconds afterwards, and I stared at the dark abyss ahead.

And, I wasn't sure if it was the hallucination, but... did those ink statues vanish...?

A boardwalk lined the edges of a never-ending cavern, with empty cages swinging on chains above it. Pipes filled with ink leaked out into the pit below, and leaving stains along our path. Bendy and me looked around, before moving on to the right.

"Now then, you better listen up here. What I'm 'bout to show ya is probably gonna save your skin down the road. So! Pay attention."

Circus Baby moved over to a machine that I hadn't seen around the studio before once we ran out of wooden walkway.

She didn't even spare a glance at the cavern path behind her.

"This here's a machine from Gent. You've probably seen that name a few times around the workshop, right?" I had. I just never gave a second thought to it.

"You spin this here dial on the side until the item you need appears, deposit some ink here in the drop area, and then crank that lever on the other side." She held out her arm, and wiped the backside of her hand along it. Ink fell off of it freely, gathering into a clump inside.

"I've got enough ink on me to give you a small example on how it works, but if you plan on doin' this yourself when I ain't around, then you need to get ink from another resource." When she turned the dial, I got a glimpse of a radio symbol, making me faintly smile. That would have been number four since I came here.

It would be nice to give it a test run, and see what came out of it, but things were serious now. No more fooling around. No more games.

And that was going to start by getting my friend back. "Okay. I didn't plan on you sticking with me the entire time anyway." Baby moved to the crank, and I silently giggled as she struggled to rotate; feet lifting partially off the ground each time she made a complete turn.

After three rotations, the machine, right at the base where an opening I hadn't noticed before, spat out a cog wheel. The metal piece spun around a few times before resting in place.

"Neat." Picking it up, I went to position it on the lift behind me. "Here we go."

Pulling the lever, the wooden box on the other side of the drop began to come across.

"Is there... a safer way to get across?" I asked, once the lift reached us. Four cables were attached to each corner, and fed up to a single cable that went from one side of the rock wall to the other.

"I-I'm not sure how well I should trust this thing."

"Well, there's always my way around, but you can't really travel through ink, can you?" Baby climbed in first, turning around to smirk at me. "Comin'?"

Out of a lot of things I had done so far, this was high on the list of things that would give me a heart attack. Death by angel or inky demon would be pretty gruesome, but on the other hand, plummeting to my doom over an abyss where I couldn't see the bottom wasn't great either.

I sat in the crate, holding the sides with both hands while Baby stood at the front. She kept one hand on a cable, keeping his balance.

Her floating head swiveled around to check on me, and when she saw my head down, and eyes tightly closed, she chuckled.

"Relax, doll. There's nothin' to worry about. This thing here's stable. Alright? You aren't gonna f-"

The ride came to a sudden and unstable halt as the wire holding us began to tremble. Even Baby looked startled at the action, clutching her support with both hands while I gripped the box tighter.

My knuckles were white from the grip, and I kept staring down at my lap. The box slammed roughly into the other side of the cavern as it started up again, and I climbed out on all fours, inching my way backwards from it until my back hit the cavern wall.

"Wh-what just happened?" Th-there was nobody on the other side of the cave, so how the heck did that happen!?

"Heh... heh... hell if I know," Baby panted, stepping out. We looked at the machine that ran the trolley on this side, but nothing seemed to be wrong with it. No smoking, or fire. Everything seemed to be as it should be.

"Hmm. Oh well. You fine, kid?" I nodded, still slumped against the rock and dirt. My chest still heaved up and down, sweat clinging to my brow.

Baby walked over to me, and her smile slackened, dropping to show concern.

"Heh... take your time, kid. It's alright."

"But... but Freddy-?" Baby shook her head, and went to sit down beside me. My legs were curled up to my body, while she had her stretched out, moving her shoes left and right.

"We'll get to him. Don't worry. But no matter what state we find him in, he won't be happy seein' you like that, would he?" I exhaled softly in a small mute laugh, and found my head dropping to the side, resting atop the clown's horned head.

Baby stiffened, but didn't back away as I closed my eyes.

"Just... few minutes." A hand patted my knee, followed by a laugh. No mocking tone, or full of hatred. But a genuine, warmhearted laugh.

"Kid, I hope you know what you're gettin' into here. It's gonna be a long shot takin' him back. Even... even after seein' what she's done to all of the others. Man, some help I was. A whole lot more braver than I ever was."  
Her laughter died out, and with a final small sigh nestled into my side.

"... n-no." I shook my head so faintly, she would have missed it had it not been resting against him.

"You've been stuck... longer than I ever was. D... don't be scared, Ba...Baby. Don't... be afraid. W... get out... together."

"... heh... hehe... hehehe..." two small arms wrapped around me, and watery trails of ink began to drip down on my vest. I slid my arm around the clown, pulling her closer, and patting her back.

Despite my drained state, eyes closed... I knew my words meant the world to him. We were getting out of this place. Together. No matter what.

"Th-thank you... Marylin. Th-thank you."


	21. The Lost Ones

"... HOLY!"

After waking up from a quick ten minute rest, I wouldn't have expected anything else to happen right away.

Being cursed with whatever n... nightmare I saw back in the archives, and then almost falling to my death over an endless black abyss.

Opening the door beside us that lead into a long, extremely enclosed hallway, I felt a nudge as Circus Baby moved past me to take the lead again.

So, I should have expected nothing to occur, right? Right!?

WRONG!

Clinging to the cartoon's shoulders and pulling against me as a short and inky shield, I watched as the same orange lights bounced in my eyes and the walls shook around us.

But if that was it, if... if all it was I was seeing was flashing lights and the world spinning around me, I would... I would have been fine.

Yet... yet seeing dozens of inky arms stretch out of the walls ahead and around me, grabbing at the air for something, or someone...I was truly screaming at that point. "AAAHHHH!"

"Marylin! Marylin, snap outta it!" A quick sharp pain radiating from my cheek, and I blinked rapidly in surprise as my shrieking slammed to a halt.

The arms were gone, and Baby had wrenched himself out of my grasp. Breathing deeply to correct my hoarse throat, my brain kicked in as to what had 'snapped me out of it'.

"You... you slapped me! Again!" I finally exclaimed, rubbing my left cheek.

Circus Baby nodded as if she was talking to a child, holding her hands behind her and rocking on her heels.

"Well, what did ya think I was gonna do to get ya to come back to your senses?" She sighed, and turned around to the exit of the tunnel.

There, far ahead of us, we could see the ink machine continue its descent deeper into the studio.

"It ain't over... not yet. Keep your head screwed on and follow me."

It was very similar to the previous pit with rickety wooden walkways going higher and higher along the edges, but this area had mysterious doors opening into the pit from unreachable ends, and the four black chains traversing up and down in front of me.

Plus, to my relief, there were no more evil carts travelling from one side of the wall to the other. No plummeting to my death. "Hmmm..."

"I see you there, my little errand girl." I froze, deer in the headlights, as Baby dropped into ink puddle form beside me instinctively.

Marie's voice came from above me, but where... I-I didn't know. I sounded like she was everywhere, from some speaker system I couldn't pinpoint.

"Your angel is always watching. What is it that keeps you going?"

My determination to save Freddy, of course. Despite him only being a clone of many others, he was my first real experience of kindness in the studio.

He was a sweetheart, and was ready to help me even when I didn't need ask for it. He was going to gain his freedom, and so was Circus Baby.

"Is it the thrill of the hunt? The thirst for your freedom? Or perhaps... you're just looking for a little, friendly, bear..."

"I swear, Marie, if you've laid one finger on his head...!" I growled out, marching up the stairway in continuous loops.

My dress shoes stomped off the filthy wood, joining in the sound of ink pouring out of the large pipes in the walls, and the grinding of the chains in the center of the pit.

Marie's sickly sweet giggles answered me. "Better hurry errand girl. Freddy is having trouble staying in one piece." She reminded silent for a moment, and if she chose to end it there, I would have been fine-okay, not fine exactly.

I would have had my rage over whatever she planned to do with Freddy. To dissect him, and remove his organs just like all the other Freddy's I saw.

From the ones in her domain, to the one I first saw when I entered Afton Robotic Factory. It was the last thing she said, just seconds after that, that filled me with even more worry, even more anxiety.

"Oh. And tell your... **friend** there, that I won't be too kind in taking down his windows again. After all, the Ink Demon shouldn't be able to see everything that goes on in here. We certainly don't need him having more wandering eyes then he already has."

The voice left me alone for good, and by the time I reached the top, Baby slow rose up to greet me. Her grin was forced, with anger and faint panic written on it.

There weren't... any words I could respond with. Marie.. she knew he was with me all this time.

Ever since... ever since the errands above in the toy shop, she knew. She **knew** Baby was following me from the start, and when he decided to announce his presence to me.

What did this mean for me now? What did this mean for Baby? Is she in trouble now too? Did she think that Baby was the actual Ink Demon running around?

"Ah! What else could possibly go wro-?"

 _ **"She always finds me... oh no... I just want to go home..."**_

I looked upwards as we entered a rest area filled with comfy couches, and a record player currently in use with a candle beside it.

The haunting music floated through the air, creating an atmosphere that I really didn't like. Not evil, or dangerous, but... sad, and filled with despair.

There, above our heads in another floor with a balcony that overlooked us, was... something that bore a striking resemblance to what William was.

Its limbs were thin and scrawny, unlike his, and was dripping black ink almost like the searchers. Glowing orange eyes looked around anxiously, searching for something that wasn't there.

 _ **"When do we go home...? When do we go home!?"**_

Its voice rose at the end, and it moved on out of my eyesight to the left.

"B-Baby, what was... that?" I spoke, finding my own voice again.

"Kid... you really don't wanna know. But... you should already have a good idea."

The workers. She meant... the workers. Other people who worked in the studio, possibly not as important as Wally, or Grant, or William and Marie, but still.

Workers that fell under Michael's thump. Workers who... were changed by the machine, just as everyone else was.

I moved on, slowly, and paused at the door in front of me.

And I was... right. How I wished I wasn't, but it was the truth. The terrifying, unforgivable truth. At least two dozen of the inky beings were gathered in the small room, with a dripping ceiling in the middle.

All glowing eyes trained on me the moment I stepped in. Circus Baby had up and went, leaving me to the traitorous actions their boss had done to them.

There were bars on the walls on a few sides, with a couple hiding behind them. Lost... lost souls. Lost ones, that were captured before they even knew what was happening.

They were all standing or crouching, watching as I circumnavigated the tight space to the opposite side.

" **He will set us free. No angels!** "

Just like me, it would seem Marie wasn't welcoming others either. I hesitated at the open vent grate, hearing a soft sobbing.

Looking around to the left, I frowned as a small ink creature was curled up in the corner, surrounded by boxes and the joint in the walls.

Its pitiful whimpering echoed off the walls, melding with the sounds from the others behind me.

"Oh boy..." I wanted to continue onward, but... it seemed wrong to just leave them there.

"H-hey... listen, I don't know if you can here me, or... understand me. But I just want you to know, same as everyone else. I'll-I'll try and get you, and everyone else out of this mess." The dripping head lifted up, and their glowing eyes met sad brown ones.

Their head bobbed slowly, up and down, and I could hear the mumbled voices of the rest of them at my words.

It was like Norman; they understood my words, but couldn't respond verbally.

"Good luck." I moved to the vent, and scooped up the old flashlight perched on the edge. Clicking it on, I gave the group one last look, one last sad yet reassuring smile, and entered the dark tunnel.

I had no clue where Baby went, but I could understand him not wanting to be back there with me.

A faint light came from a partially opened grate at the far end, so I chose to drift towards that.

Not like there was any other option, as the path was only straight at the moment, and didn't branch off anywhere.

A Circus Baby's cutout was visible on the other side, and the metal creaked under my weight _,_ I thought with a tight frown. A standee, and a drawing desk, and-"OH CRAP!".

"Baby" having sprung up from the other side of the grate just as I got close enough, slammed her hands above the metal frame, and ink began to flow down around the room and shield off any other light.

Breathing deeply, I inched back in the vent, keeping a firm grip on the flashlight in case I needed a weapon. There was no hiding spots in this place, and no sound escape routes. I-I was trapped.

"Baby" knelt down on his side, staring at me behind the river of black covering her eyes while keeping a hold of one of the bars of the grate.

With an almost whistling noise, he brought his ungloved hand to his permanent grin, and... hushed me?

Straightening up again, he gave me one final look before removing her hand and walking on towards a wall outside of my line of sight, possibly to head to whatever area he saw fit next to see.

"... what... the heck?" The black tar squelched under my fingers and knees, before it finally vanished as " Baby" left completely. Baby didn't attack. Wh-what was that all about?

"Where... where's B... Baby-?"

"You rang?"

"Gah!" I swung my flashlight behind me, earning an indignant squawk from the smaller clown. I didn't make contact with his head, but I really wished I had.

"Where were you? What, you just decided to leave me here with "Baby"?"

"I told ya I can't be with ya all the time, remember? Or did all those shots to your head screw somethin' up?" She gave a small grunt as she shoved past me, and ripped the light out of my hand.

"C'mon. I'll show ya the right path. Don't need you gettin' lost more than you already are. Freddy only has so much time."

The grim reminder snapped me back to my current mission, and with a sigh, I crawled after her. To the left of where "Baby" had startled me, then to the right. To the right again, and to the left again.

"Hey... wh-what's making that noise?" A repeated thumping echoed from somewhere in the vents, making me wonder if it was the Ink Demon again.

"Just another of those lost ones, kid. No need to fuss over it," came the short and quick reply. To the left, and to the first turn on the right instead of the one at the far end.

As Baby turned a right, and I could see the exit over her shoulder, I finally decided to voice another question. This one should get an answer, at least one that couldn't be dodged so easily.

"So... where exactly are we headed?" Dropping the light on the floor outside, we climbed out of the vent. It was a fairly simple layout.

A large stone Circus Baby on our right across from some benches, the occasional wooden box, seat, Circus Baby's cutout, and hiding box. What was interesting was the flight of stairs at the far end, leading up to a small floor above us.

"Y'see, Michael had an idea 'bout makin' a theme park around yours truly." Baby began to head towards the stairs, and I walked on in her footsteps.

"However, as you might've already guessed, he... had a problem givin' others their due. He took credit for everything his workers did. Ideas, voice talent; you name it, he took it. " **Dreams come true** " was written over the entrance of the vent, and I focused my eyes back on what was in front of me. " **Come up and see me. Almost there.** " Who wrote those?

"This here was his workstation. The guy who created the park made all of his prints, design notes, right in here."

Sketches upon sketches of concepts I could've even dream of covered the three bulletin boards, with miniature models set up on a display board on the table. A recorder sat on the edge of it, and Baby pressed play.

" **For forty years, I've built attractions that stagger the imagination! Colossal wonders such as the world has never seen! I have earned my legacy with sweat.**

 **But** **right in front of everyone... high level investors. Wall Street tycoons.** **T** **he ever-tactless** **Michael** **Afton** **introduces me, the great** **Bertrum** **Piedmont, as Bertie! Like I was his... child!**

 **You may be paying me, Mister** **Afton** **,** **b** **ut you don't own me! I'll build you a park bigger than anything YOU could ever possibly conceive! But before you go taking any bows, Mister** **Afton** **, know that this grand achievement will belong to me... and to me alone.** "

I lifted my head, hearing the tape end just as Baby flipped a power switch across from the table from where I stood.

Her perma-grin was... cruel. This time, filled with knowledge that I was still unaware of myself. How the same face could create, and hide, so many tales was beyond me.

Heck, even those pie-shaped eyes seemed to hold so many hurtful secrets. What... what did this cartoon see? What had happened to Baby to turn her from a happy toon to someone so cynical?

I mentally reminded myself. I wanted to know. I wanted to know what the cartoon demon was hiding, and what was doing this-changing and torturing the workers of Afton Robotic Factory, into monsters.

Chest rising and falling in a steady beat, I spared a quick glance at my arms. Ink stained to the point my pale skin was unrecognizable, patches of purple bruises visible around my elbows, and my wrists hurt to the point they could possibly be broken.

I was hurt physically, but my mind kept pushing past that. I could feel it, yes, but I had so much more on my mind now.

Baby couldn't keep jumping around the truths of the studio forever. She would have to slip eventually, or I would find the answers myself in my search for my friend.

For Freddy. With deep breathes that shook my shoulders, trying to steady my growing nerves for everything that had happened to me so far in the past few days-since it was clear by now with how many times I had passed out I was trapped for a long time-I rested my hands on the table beside the recorder.

With more force than necessary, I created a slightly loud thump off the old wood.

"Alright, Baby. You got me here. I don't know why this place wanted my dad back here, but I'm here in his place I want answers, and I plan on getting them. Why the studio is like it is now, why he was invited back, and why the workers are being changed into cartoons and twisted abominations.

One way, or another, I need to know what went wrong.. So let's get this show on the road, and tell me what I'm about to head into to get my friend back."

Circus Baby's odd red curve above her face where her horns were rose in surprise, and she gave a pleased laugh.

"Nice to see you're finally seein' things in the right light. Okay, kid. Hang onto your mini Freddy, because you're 'bout to get into one distorted and crooked world."

Her hand came out from behind her, and I found a small black object come flying at me. My hands quickly caught it, and I stared at the same Freddy plush that I took back in the toy factory above to replace the Baby's plush.

My face lit up in a small, grateful smile, and I stuck it back in my vest pocket. She didn't have to, but she did. She kept something that gave me a feeling of safety and familiarity.

Patting its head for confirmation that my little buddy really was back, Baby waltzed back over to me, and took my other hand in her four fingered one.

"C'mon, Marylin."


	22. Circus Baby's World

"You don't swear that often, do ya?" I threw a questionable look at Baby as I hopped down the last few stairs, and shrugged.

"Not really. "Baby" just... surprised me. Plus, being in such a confined space threw all of my escape options out of the window." Choosing to climb over the small railing to access the opened storage room, I waited as Baby took the small flight of stairs beside it like any normal person...animatronic, would. With a sigh and a shake of her head at my antics, Baby stepped ahead of me as we entered. It was pitch black, with zero light to let us see what was even in front of our faces, until the sound of a generator kicked into gear.

"Welcome kid... to Circus Land." _More like Circus Hell,_ I thought, seeing the black ink scrawled over the second part of the name. The large sign hung over the storage room, with yellow lights strung about over the area, giving it the same eerie feeling that followed me around since minute one. Another Lost One sat atop an empty cage below, watching us with those haunting eyes. "Just ignore 'em."

Taking my hand, she led me down the stairs to the side, as I tried to take in everything at once. Shd was right. I-I had to keep my head straight. Pitying for those people trapped wouldn't do me any good until I figured out what the reason was for... everything. What I found out, what I had learned during my time on the very first floor was that missing a detail could mean life and death. The more I could learn, the better. And... for Freddy' sake, I had to learn how to reach wherever he was captive. Any tricks, or puzzles, I had to master.

"Punching in," I mumbled, using the machine at the foot of the stairs before Baby could drag me further. A giant cutout Circus Baby's head was mounted above a sealed metal door located right at the bottom, its destination currently unknown to me, and towering shelves created a maze around us. Stacked bags of sand or dirt were placed around the floor, with half a dozen garbage cans with Baby's head mounted on the top, mouth being the opening for trash to be thrown in. _That's... a little creepy._

"There aren't that many games in here," Baby continued, leading me to the back of the room. She paused in front of a strength testing game, and let go of my hand. "Unfortunately for us, one of the geniuses here got it in her head to make things difficult for the others. If you wanna move forward, you gotta play the games to access new areas. There's switches in the rooms branching off from here, and they're the key to gettin' along." She pointed away from us to the right, and I could see a panel with four unblinking lights on it, right above four switches. "Gotta say," she added with a chuckle, "it's a pretty funny image, thinkin' 'bout how frustrated those fellas got over not gettin' in at the start. So, ya got it?"

I grabbed the mallet off the floor, testing its weight before flashing her a grin. Lifting over my head, I brought it down on the machine and sent the bell ringing. "Crystal."

 _ **"Tell me, are you two having fun? I'm sure Freddy doesn't mind waiting for his rescue party."**_ Baby and me looked above our heads, scowling at wherever Marie was.

"Ignoring her," I grumbled, dropping the hammer with a thud. Trudging over to the two other games set up, I gave an annoyed sigh. "Perfect. Games that involve aim." The one on the left was a shooting game, with some targets with an inky X on them and a pea shooter at the ready. The other was a bottle toss game with a stack of three baseballs on the counter. _Another recorder._

" **These guys down in the warehouse get to play games all day while I'm stuck cleaning up after 'em! They kept locking themselves out of their own back room. So I says to 'em, 'look guys', I says, 'you're smart, right? Here's an idea!**

 **Why not rig these games up to knock open the door if ya win? It'll be fun for you guys, and it saves me the trip down here every day.' They went for it like a dog to pot roast. I tell ya! If these guys don't start realizing who the real genius is, I'm outta here!** "

"Wow," I said, "Wally's a lot more clever than I thought he was." Baby nodded, and moved over to the gun. "How should we do this?"

"Given your lack of speed, toots, I figured you'd be best at that." She cocked the gun, and the moment she held it up, the game kicked into gear. Either the gun had a trigger for it to start, or there was a sensor I didn't see. Regardless of her height, Baby managed to keep up with the goal. The little animatronic running womandashed up the score board behind the targets, set in between a stuffed Freddy and Baby. Her hands slipped once, missing two, but the cheerful music died down with a triumphant ringing bell. "That's how ya do it." She set it down, and grinned cheekily at me. "Your turn."

"Show off." Taking the baseballs, I balanced two in my left hand, while tossed the third in my dominant hand. "One... two...!" Chucking it as hard as my thin arms would allow it, I sent the stack of milk bottles flying. "Ha ha!" Putting another ball in her right hand, she followed through with the action again. And then again, sending all bottles onto the floor behind the counter. "Easy as pie!"

Baby shook herhead, and turned to the grinding sound of metal to the left of us. The door from before that we saw as we entered the storage room had opened; the one that had the giant Circus Baby had above it. "Ladies first." Rolling my eyes, I smacked the little devil darlin' on the head as I passed her. Hearing a soft grumbling in response, I turned the small corner inside. All I found was a shelf with a few ink cans, a small lit candle on a work table, and a chair.

And... The Butcher Gang, with ink spillage around their mouths. Almost as if... they had bitten off more than they could chew. "That's... gonna haunt me for a while. Really. They will."

"Yeah, yeah. Get over it and pull the switch, kid." Throwing a look at Baby, who was rubbing the back of herhead, I flipped the handle across from the creepy trio. Exiting the room, I saw faint yellow lights emit from the power cord leading to the room feed over to the control panel I saw earlier. "C'mon."

The demon beat me to the spot, and yanked down on the first of the four, finding the light glowing. "Alright, so that's one done. Where does that lead us now?" She spun around, and immediately backtracked.

"Research and design. Best to let ya know now, but like before, there's gonna be a lot o' back and forth happenin'," Baby replied. "The only way to get where we wanna go is by accessin' the haunted house. The mechanics of the ride lead deeper to areas we can't reach here. Those switches we're triggerin' will open the path for us." Walking past the hammer game to the newly opened area, I stared down from a balcony circling the entire room. A giant Circus Baby arm hung from the ceiling on black chains, while the annoyance that was the Butcher Gang hung out below, warming themselves by an oil drum ablaze.

"Hmm... guessing those two hallways on either side are the way to go. But... I've got no weapons anymore." A can of bacon soup, empty with the lid cracked open, sat on the railing. "I... wonder..." taking it in my hand, I looked below me and dropped it. The hollow sound reverberated around the room, and the monsters left their post and went to search for what made the noise. "Uh-huh."

"You really better be uppin' your aim now, kid," Baby warned. She had hopped up to lean over the edge with me, using his arms to keep herself up while her legs swung freely in the air. I would've laughed at how ridiculous he looked, but I'd rather not risk myself getting attacked by the Butcher Gang, or slapped by Baby... again.

A waterfall of ink ran into a pool on the far side of where we stood, and keeping a steady eye on the happenings below, I traversed towards the stairs. Snatching up four cans for ammo, I stood halfway down and took aim. With a quiet sound of me gathering momentum to gain distance, I watched the bacon soup sail towards the far right corner of the bottom level. Up above, Baby sat on a barrel, watching. Herdress shoes shone in the faint light, and her head was tilted in observance.

The Butcher Gang, hearing the echoing sound, abandoned their spot and moved away. _Go time,_ I internally commanded. I flipped over the railing once again, landing not-so gently on the floor as I booked it down the left wing. Once I turned the corner inside, I skid to a stop at the hopeless sobbing.

It was another one. Another worker. Their form was hunched up in a ball, crying underneath a metal covering in the wall for gear pieces. However, unlike the ones I had seen before, the person was stuck on the other side of a fence. I hesitated in my walking, giving them a pitiful look before moving on. I-I couldn't do anything. Not yet, anyway.

The end of the hall lead into a room with a Gent machine, two... duck heads on a work table with one of them not even painted, an animatronic Baby on the right on a table all its own, and a table on the left closest to me with a toolbox and a recorder. " **The creator lied to us.** " Yeah, that seemed to be the most common message in the studio. The inky sprawl was on the opposite side of the room, right next to the robot. Laying down the cans beside the recording and taking a seat on one of the three stools in front of the tables, I pressed play.

" **The only thing that works around here is my ulcer. Half these people don't know a wrench from a dang steamroller! Buncha morons is what they are. Spend their day in the warehouse arguin' over who's supposed to be doin' what or playing them silly games.**

 **Still, I'm not complain'. I get most of my time to myself. Suits me just fine. Only thing that bothers me is that mechanical demon in the corner.** " I spared a quick look at the robot Baby, and raised a brow. Its... one of its arms was missing. Should... should I show concern about that? " **Mira's been working on it for a month now. Says it will work someday and maybe dance. All it does now is give me the creeps. I swear, when my back's turned... that thing's movin'.** "

It's... moving? "Oh great, it's Five Nights at Freddy's all over again," I complained with a groan. Sliding off the stool, I turned on the switch beside me. "That's two. Now, before we go... best check that other hallway." Gathering my bacon soup, I walked back past the sobbing inky person, and pressed my back against the wall. The Butcher Gang was already back in place. And Baby, still refusing to act violent against my aggressors and choosing to watch how I fared, stared down at me from the railing.

Sticking my tongue out at her, which only got me an 'innocent' head tilt, I tossed a can towards the stairs. Once the path was cleared, I ran to the right of the bottom floor, and around the small corner. "And another one down." _Wonder why there's two of them down here,_ I thought, lowering the lever.

"Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Sneaking to the stairs after throwing a can towards the left hallway, I waltzed over to Baby. The cans were set down on the floor beside me, no longer having any use for me. "You already got half of 'em switches dealt with."

"Yeah?" I breathed. I wasn't exactly out of breath, but... part of me kept holding it in every time I ran past the monsters on the lower half of the room. Out of fear I'd get caught, and... slaughtered... with Baby watching. "Hey... um, wh-what else am I going to have to deal with for those last two?"

Baby chuckled, patting my shoulder as she hopped off her seat and headed out of the room. "Nothin' too big of a concern. I'll give ya a hand on the next one, huh? Hold up my end of sayin' I wouldn't let you go in alone."

"Heh. I'll hold you to that, Baby. Honestly... I have a feeling things are gonna go downhill soon. Just-it's almost like I've been here for who knows how long now. I've dealt with so much, and still haven't figured out most of what the heck's going on in this place." I sighed, and trudged back through the door into the storage room. Baby hung back for a few seconds, before the sound of her light footsteps caught up to me.

"Aw, don't be like that, kid! Your hunch could be right," she replied almost nonchalantly. "Or, y'know, it could be a walk in the park. Who knows?" I would get of this nightmare. No matter what.

And no murderous angel or obsessive Ink Demon would stop me.


	23. Onwards to the Nightmare

Baby jumped up, pulling on the second switch of the control panel in front of us. I stood behind her, arms crossed and deep in thought. "That's two. You ready for the next one?" She turned around as her feet hit the floor, taking in my appearance.

"Well, it's not like I can say otherwise," I sighed. My gun-ho attitude had been slipping, and while my determination for freeing everyone was still as high as ever... I was tired. Tired, and injured. My arm still had the rag wrapped around it from the music department where the searcher attacked me, and it wouldn't be long from now that it would get infected. "Lead the way, Baby."

Without another word, he headed back towards the entrance to Circus Land, past the carousel horses lined up against a towering bookshelf and to the... attraction storage? "Keep your eyes ahead of you, kid." I could see why he would say that. A dead Butcher Gang member sat in the corner of the small room as the hallway twisted to the right. Ride carts were stacked on shelves behind me and beside it, with several large boxes and barrels and another image of Baby holding a sign to keep on working. It didn't help that the light fixture the monster was propped up against was broken, flickering its yellow light along the walls and casting shadows on its lifeless face.

Turning to the right, we passed two Baby cutouts and through one of the two doors standing side by side into a massive storage area. Boxes and tables lined the edges, with more broken pieces of machinery. But it was the center of the room that really caught my eye. How to explain it... it would have seemed to be like those rides with a central computer in the middle, with the arms that branched off and spun you around. I had seen something similar to that at an amusement park, and could recall the feeling of being shoved up against the vehicle's side as we kept taking sharp turned, being whirled about at a fast pace.

The same yellow decoration lights lined the walls higher up, with the same normal lighting at the bottom. Though... it did seem as if there was spotlights coming from above the attraction, and lit it up from there. More duck heads were stacked into shelves, and I could make out a ride poster on the wall behind the tiny bulbs about duck boats. "What's going on here?"

"You wanna get that third switch?" I nodded hesitantly, a foot behind me in a prepared flight position. Something seemed... off there. Baby was almost on edge, black eyes darting from me to the tape recording on the work table ahead of us. "Then you best be gettin' ready."

"What do you-?"

" **The biggest park ever built, a centerfold of attractions.** " Baby pressed play before I could finish, and as soon as she did... he vanished. The little demon melted into an ink puddle and slipped away, leaving me alone with whatever was about to happen. " **Each one, more grand than the one before it.** **It makes my eyes come to tears at the thought. But then... oh Mister Afton. For all your talk of dreams, you are the true architect behind so many nightmares.** " W-well, at least I could agree with her on one thing. We both despised Michael. " **I built this park. It was to be a masterpiece! My masterpiece!** "

An echoing slam came from behind me, and I spun around to see the doors were gated off. "Oh cr-Baby!" Did she just ditch me in a fight!? " **And now you think you can just throw me out!? Trample me to the dust and forget me!?** " His voice rose in anger as the recorder played on, and I watched as a ring of lights lit up around the machine, at its top and its bottom _._ Stepping back, I realized how painfully right my movement was in that split second. The four arms moved, gears grinding as they picked themselves off the ground. " **No! This is my park! My glory!** **You may think I've gone... but I'm still HERE!** "

The word was dragged out, and the arms slammed into the dirt. There were four carts attached to each arm, dangling and spinning. But... but what really terrified me, what really made me scream... was the humanoid face that stared blankly back at me as a hatch opened up in the middle of the ride's body. Dead eyes staring off in different directions, and a gaping mouth opening and closing.

The arms spun around, as did the body, showing off that face no matter where it went as all flaps had come undone. Screeching to a stop, the one closest to me rose up and crashed down on the table. The recorder was mangled metal scrap now, as was the table. But it did reveal one benefit. "The ax!" I almost cried out in relief. Snatching it up and gripping it for dear life, I steadied my footing for an opening to attack.

It was the arms that were my main target. Without them, the machine didn't have a form of attack. One of the arms sputtered, falling down off to my right. "Arrgh!" With a yell, I lunged forward and whacked at the gears holding the joints in place. Sliding underneath to get the two on the other side, I almost was struck in the back of my head as a spurt of freezing cold ink from one of the joints hit me in the face. Almost. With how much I had been drenched and dunked in the liquid, it was just a thicker version of water now. Deadly, yes. But I could handle it... somewhat.

"Whoa!" Throwing myself backwards, I avoided the arm as it broke off without warning, flying across the room in heaps of metal. Bertrum spun around wildly, sparks flying off the severed wires. "O-okay! You got this, Marylin. Three more to go." The movements were the same. Avoid the spinning, and when one slammed to the ground as it short circuited, break off the joints and get the heck out of dodge. By the time I took down the third, and ending up almost getting a beam to my head, I could see the torrents of ink spray from him, and the steam fogging up around his head.

By the third arm, Bertrum's face seemed more angry. His mouth was snapping open and shut as if he was trying to shout at me, and I could see his eyebrows shift on the mechanical face. I-I didn't understand it though. Michael, he-he created the ink machine and brought cartoons to life. He turned the workers into monsters, corrupted Marieand William , disfigured Norman to the point he wasn't even remotely human... how could he have done this to Bertrum? Turned a man... into this monstrosity?

Finally, with a strong strike, I broke off the last gear. Falling back on my rear as sparks flew overhead and the arm went flying off to the left, Bertrum spun around out of control. The loss of ink finally doing him in, as he no longer had anything else to prevent the vital fluid from spraying out. With a final hiss, everything shut down. Electricity, ink, and motion. The ride was once again out of commission. Bertrum's head was held high for just a second more, before dropping down in defeat. Mouth hanging open, and eyes unused once again. The hatches that revealed his face slowly closed... and it was all over.

The weapon fell from my hands in a clatter, and I shakily pulled myself to my feet. "I... I..." I couldn't speak. True, I had taken down so many corruptions in the studio, but this was much different. This was... was nothing like I had faced before.

The sound of a faint thrum of electricity came from my far right, and there in a corner beside the switch I had come for... "looks like you really took that fight well, huh, toots?" Baby strolled over to me, surveying the destruction. "Not bad. Frankly, I'm surprised you're still standing-ow!"

I smacked her on the side of her head, sending the floating thing spinning a few times."You jerk! You said we're in this together, and then you go ahead and ditch me in a fight!?" I went to hit her again, only for Baby to catch my wrist that time.

"I can only help you so long as I ain't puttin' myself at risk. I already did enough by revealin' myself, and the angel now knows I'm playin' too. You think I want to get myself killed? You're expendable in this game, kid, according to every creature without a sane thought in their head. Like it or not, some other sucker will come here if this isn't put to rest **now**. It didn't matter who, but it's you. You're the one who came here, and you're the one who's got to play. Not me, not Freddy, you."

She hand threw my wrist free, leaving it red from her string grip, and headed back the way we came from. "Now, c'mon. You just got the maintenance area to inspect and you're on your way to savin' your pal." I paused at her wording, choosing to head off to the unopened room while she went for the switch. As the metal doors opened, and the sound of her shoes neared, I addressed her .

"He's your friend too, Baby. You might not be as fond of Freddy as I am since he's 'one of many', but you wouldn't be as insistent on helping me if you didn't feel the least bit worried for his safety too." Though... She could have just been easily helping me all due to a small concern for my well-being. The animatronic didn't have an automatic response, letting me progress in silent victory. The small animatronic was left far behind me, and I was perfectly fine with that. I didn't need him. I knew where I had to go, and what I had to do to get Freddy back. And I would get him back.

"No matter what." Posters for a Baby cartoon about a train covered the tiny room, with the word " **choo choo** " written several times in ink over the walls. Stepping over the risen part of the floor, where a metal door probably was at one point and making a right turn, I giggled at the next piece of merchandise. " **Ri** **d** **e the Buddy Freddy Railway.** "

"Alright, Marylin. This shouldn't be too hard, huh? Just head down there and find... the...?" The inky lake at the foot of the stairs that no doubt covered all of the room I was destined for lit up for the briefest of seconds in a yellow flickering light. The moment I saw it, my brain rebooted, sending me the signal of the one creature I had met in Afton Robotic studio who created such a result.

Norman.

"Oh, you have to be kidding me." Great. Just... great. Inhaling deeply, I readied myself. "Here we go again." The stairs creaked under me, and I saw Norman turn around the side of one of the two trains set up in the middle of the room. There was a higher ground, with a flight of stairs on the far side leading up to it. Crates lined the edges of the bottom part, and one train, the train he was walking past, was turned around to face the other side. The one directed at me had a silly cartoon face painted on the front.

"Now... how to do this?" I assumed, with the experience from before, following behind him out of his line of sight would be as good of an idea as any. Stepping down into the liquid, and having it reach halfway up to my knees, I waded around the room. Posters and empty shelves. Nothing too different, except for that... recording just past the other flight of stairs. "Wonder who this is."

" **I believe there's something special in all of us. With true inner strength, you can conquer even your biggest challenges. You just have to believe in yourself and remain honest, motivated, and above all, who you really are.** "

My opinion of Micheal Afton was already rock bottom. Honestly, I didn't think there was any other possible way it could get lower. But... the recording didn't stop there. " **Okay, let's stop it right there. I can only do so many takes of this trash a day. And tell the guys in writing I want more use of the word dreaming in every message. Keep railing on that, get it? Dreaming! Dreaming! Dreaming! People just eat up that kind of slop. Hmm, what? It's still on? Well, turn it off, d-!** "

I slapped the stop button before Micheal could get the swear out, and stumbled back. Micheal ... he really was a monster. Eyes darted around, spotting the ink light up at the end of the room as Norman neared, I ran through the ink to the switch just on the other side of the area. An ear piercing screech soon followed, and I yelped as the bright light of the Projectionist hit me. Legs failed me for a split second, until I scrambled backwards and up to the higher floor.

"No, no, no! Not yet!" I wasn't ready to die! Diving and letting my shoes slide out underneath me as I made the sharp turn at the top, I made an odd squeal-gasp of happiness at the sight of a switch. "Last one!" I threw myself into the hole in the wall, both dyed hands wrapping around the handle and bringing it down with my body. On command, the Projectionist and the lights of the room went off, with the exception of the floor lights I had seen everywhere I went.

The hum of machinery came from somewhere else in the theme park section of the studio, giving me the verification I had done my job. Not only that, but the monster had stopped chasing me, having descended back to the trains below.

"Ah... ah... ah... ah, screw my life. I hate this place." Sorry Freddy and Baby . Sorry dad. But I have given up on my love of animation, on the given fact of having my life on the line and almost being slashed and drowned to death on multiple occasions.

"Not to forget the cursed fact I had to go past him again to get back to the main room." Sneaking time. I crept down the stairs for hopefully the last time, keeping myself plastered to the wall until I was right at the foot. Peering around both sides, I took a deep breath... and booked it to the other side. The instant my right leg pushed me up out of the ink, Norman's howling shrieks filled my ears. I had no room for error, slipping, or making a fool of myself. I had zero escape route. He was fast, and would clearly catch me given the chance. But... if Norman was as determined as Inky...

I wrenched the hiding place's door open, threw myself hard against the backside, and slammed it shut. I hadn't had to use one since the toy factory. But right now, I prayed with all my heart that the same principle applied to the Projectionist. My legs were pressed up against my chest, and I wrapped my arms around them. Kneeling down into a ball on the seat, the slot in the door allowed what little light the monster created to seep in. I could hear flickering, and footsteps getting ever so closer.

Norman... Norman was clever. Clever, and... about to end my life. He wasn't fooled. He knew I was in there, and when he opened that door, I would become another victim to the studio. Another foolish person Micheal Afton duped. My eyes closed, face scrunched up, and just as long nails scratched against the wood... the ink came.

Norman roared as my vision flickered from bright to dark, and I could feel the ink creeping in from the hole and over the wooden safe haven. My grip on my legs slackened, and I straightened up ever so slightly to look out. "Baby". The Ink Demon herself had arrived, and was landing punch after punch at Norman's head, denting his corrupted head. The Projectionist slashed out with his own claws, but the size different was too great. "Bendy" towered at least a foot, maybe even more, over the old employee. Until, to my terror, "Baby" lifted Norman up off the ground by his head, letting the monster flail around in his grasp. My eyes flickered, mimicking the two times my mind started... and when I came to, "Baby" had ripped Norman's head clean off. The body collapsed to the floor, ink spraying out from his neck as Inky tossed the projector at my door. The impact made me whimper, my voice lost in the moment.

"Baby" paused, and knelt down to peer at the box, almost... could she really see me? All this time, di-did she actually know I was hiding? The malicious grin was indifferent, but her head tilted to the side curiously. However, that was all she did in regards to me. Bending down, she grabbed one of the corpse's legs, and walked off down the hall, dragging what was left of Norman away.

The ink covered box and walls vanished, signalling their departure. With a shaky hand, I pushed the door open. A heavy trail of ink was laid out in front of me, and lead into the wall beside the hatch door I had entered earlier. And... Norman's head. It still sat on the floor, sprouting ink from where it attached to his body.

"Oh..." ever since I had arrived, I kept myself mostly composed. But... but now that Fr9 had been captured, Baby continuing to give me mixed signals, Marie's continuous threats, my diminishing sanity... I had just witnessed a murder. An innocent man, corrupted by the ink... dismembered. Who cared if it was because he was trying to kill me. Norman didn't deserve that. Deep down, he probably knew that. In that last moment, h-he probably didn't even know who I was. Before, he was at such a difference of distance he didn't see a need to attack. He might have had enough time to process my familiar appearance to an old co-worker. But at that moment... he saw me as prey. Prey, just like "Baby". But "Baby" didn't attack then.

I dropped to the floor, legs giving out in weakness. I buried my head in my arms, tears starting to drop down my face as I shook in silent sobs. Sobbing for my lost friend, for lost workers, for... me. I was lost within the studio, all because I had wanted to save my dad. Wh-why didn't I just call the police? If I had gone to the authorities, things would've been different. Safer. For everyone, right...?

"There ya are! Been wonderin' where you went off to... kid?" A gloved hand rested against my left cheek, the thumb brushing against a tear. "Hey, doll?" All she received in response was a sniffle, and another bout of shakes. The animatronic sighed, and I felt another hand on the other side of my head. "Shh... shh... it's okay, kid. It's okay. No need to be scared, alright?"

A watery and bitter laugh escaped me, making the cartoon lean back. "That's such a lie, Baby. I-I've been terrified since I came in here, a-and now... I don't know what I'm supposed to feel. Wh-what am I supposed to be? Scared? Angry!?" I let myself look at her , seeing wide black eyes. Eyes that were just as shocked and alarmed as I was. "I'm angry at everyone. At Marie for taking my friend. At Michael for doing all of this!" I swung an arm out, gesturing to the stairs where Norman... "a-and... and you. I'm angry at you."

My voice finally died out, done with my emotional rant. Baby continued to stare at me, but in my current state it was impossible to make sense of what he thought of me patronizing him. "I'm... you saw me as amusement. A-another idiot who got trapped in the studio. You... you don't care if I live or not. Either it's pity, or some other idea... I-I just want to go home, okay? Is that too much to ask?"

"Aw, kid." The dirt was shuffled in front of me, and I blearily looked up to see Baby had gotten down on his knees. "Now listen. I... I ain't good at this sort of stuff, alright? You've been coped up in a place like this for so long, it... it does stuff to ya." She rubbed the back of her head, averting his gaze for a moment. When Baby returned to look at me, she sighed.

"You can think 'bout all the alternate choices 'bout gettin' that letter all ya want, but the point is you were the one to get it. And ya chose to come here. Whether it's fate, or the worst luck imaginable... heh, hell if I know. But what I do know is that you're tryin' your hardest to get us out of this place."

"But it's not enough," I whispered. "If it was, Freddyand Norman-"

"Nothing would've changed, kiddo. No matter who filled the role of the sap to enter the studio, the same thing would've happened." Straightening up, she dusted the tiny rocks stuck on the dark skin of her knees. "Still, at least ya got Polk to experience some shred of humanity beforehand, right? Freddy loved that, didn't he? Don't know if that actually makes a difference down here, but it shows you're havin' an affect on us. A good one." She held out her hand, waving her four fingers in a silent signal for me to grab hold. "You're almost there. So... are ya ready to get your pal back, and figure out the secret behind it all?"

Did ere... mean that? _Mmm..._ I bit the inside of my cheek, looking down at my lap before sticking out my hand. I lifted my face, forcing an expression of determination. I was rocked, and my confidence was at an all-time low. But Baby was right. I was so close, and I wasn't going to stop yet. Even... even if I risked my own life. "I'm ready, Baby. Let's... let's go find our wolf." My fingers intertwined with her, and together, we headed back down the path. "Just hang on a little longer, Freddy. We're almost there."


	24. Save Freddy & End the Angel

The walk back to the control panel was tense. Baby and me didn't talk to each other, but I was fine with that.

We didn't have to speak. After all we had been through since he chose to stick next to me in, after finding me at the elevator unconscious, she had managed to snap some much needed common sense back into my head.

Sure, she was a huge pain and I couldn't stand her attitude sometimes, but she was... I enjoyed her presence. Without Freddy, who was still trapped with Marie, Baby was the only sane person I could be with. The only other being who wouldn't kill me where I stood.

I pulled down the fourth switch, and looked to the demon herself.

"Hey... wanna do the honors with me?" Circus Baby's brow rose in surprise, and with a stretched grin, grabbed the fifth handle with me.

She was realistic, and yet those cartoon features were still there. Her gloved hands brushed against mine, and even with how odd they appeared, they still felt like normal cloth.

Just like Freddy, she was a mirror image of what she was supposed to be.

The reminder made me tighten my hold, the motivation of my objective kicking back in stronger than ever. Together, we pulled it down, hearing the final door open up. I let go, heading off in its direction with the demon at my heels.

"Ready for this, kid?" She asked as we entered the small new area. It wasn't a huge room, bearing a size similar to where those creepy puppets were stored. But what lacked in size was made up for what the space held in store.

Several cartoon themed carts were on a track, with brick arching walls and an inky message that read "turn back" on the other side from us.

The doors that opened up to the ride further down the track bore a skull with narrowed empty sockets, which... didn't really help the tense feeling still hanging in the air. Foreboding, really.

"... y-yeah. I'm ready." I sounded so unprepared in that reply. It didn't help that there was a creepy audio recording playing evil laughter in the background too.

"So, we just... step inside?" I nudged the cart with my shoe, seeing a faint layer of dust on it.

"Yep. Got any other plans?" Baby walked around it, and climbed in on the right side. She was still too short, barely letting her head come up over the safety bar.

It would've been funny if I wasn't so stressed, tired, and angry. "C'mon."

"Coming, coming." The ride creaked under me as I took my seat beside her, and I lowered the bar over our laps. "Alright, Marie. Let's do this."

A giggle answered the statement, and with a jolt, the ride was set into motion. I unexpectedly gripped the bar, despite not being in danger yet. Just her voice alone was now enough to set me on edge.

"As you wish. Now, the ride truly begins, Marylin."

The skeleton doors swung open, letting us enter. Where some bricks were missing to reveal black holes, were filled with glowing yellow cartoon eyes. Clearly not anything living but simply decoration, but it was enough to annoy me. It looked as if they were following us as we went by.

 _ **"Come in, and pretend it's all just a bad dream."**_ Alcoves held the remains of ink monsters, cages and barrels sat along the walkways of the ride, and silly cardboard ghosts and skeletons popped out from behind tombstones.

At every turn, every attempt for the ride to spook me, I kept my eyes on the speakers above me. Where Marie's mocking words flowed from, trying to get to me.

" **It's a funny thing. How so much can fall apart so fast. We never really had control of the studio. Either you in someone's pocket, or you were putting someone into yours."** I noticed Circus Baby avoid staring at a boarded up alcove with her name on it on her side of the track, her grin downcast and upset.

Freddy's shadow was plastered on the wall up ahead, but it was obvious it wasn't ours. That would have been far too easy.

 _ **"I** **j** ** _ust_ wanted what was promised to me. I just wanted to be beautiful! Surely you can understand that."**_

The shadow was created from a Freddy plush and a spotlight on the floor.I scowled. If I had the same amount of naivety as when I first entered the studio, I might have actually believed what I saw was real. _**"**_ _ **Marylin...why are you here? We're all dying to find out."**_ Honestly... that was something I wanted to know myself. I was dared and received dad's letter, asking him to return to the factory after 30 years. I had saved my dad from avoiding whatever was being planned in this insane building.

But... but with everything I've seen, with everything I'd learned already... what was the goal? Why was dad asked to return? And did Marie only know my name, because I said it in a conversation with Baby, or was it something else...?

 _ **"Do you just enjoy the terror of the drop into hell? Because if that's the case... hang on tight. I've got a surprise..."**_

"That ain't good," Baby mumbled as we passed through another skull door. I nodded dumbly. Every single conversation with the corrupted Marie just left me even more confused.

A small right turn led to another door, and through that...was a scene that could rival that ghost mansion ride from Disney.

Boarded up windows, and picture frames with ghoulish figures with flickering yellow eyes. Candles mounted high on the walls, with a crystal chandelier in the center.

Bags of an unknown substance were stacked underneath with several boxes, as the track ran around the edge of the room. The floor beneath those was tiled, while the walls themselves had a strange floral pattern of light brown and black.

Everything in the studio was colored to that of a 30s cartoon; given the choice of color in their animations, and the cartoon characters themselves, it would make sense.

I just missed that splash of bright light. Blue, or red, or yellow.

There was even an organ on the side of the wall, right across from the entrance and the exit of the room. Candles were strategically placed on it to avoid spilling over and catching fire, with their wax melting onto the dusty wood.

In the corner was a Baby statue, collection large cobwebs.

"Hey, Baby? I... I don't feel so good." The animatronic looked up to me, confused at my statement.

"Something... something's not right."

Baby seemed to catch on, face suddenly much more serious than when the angel was taunting us.

"Yeah. I feel it too." Her hands tightened around the bar, copying my actions from earlier.

"Get ready." The exit opened up to reveal a pitch black hallway."Here we g-whoa!"

"AAH!" The two of us yelled in alarm as two massive hands clamped down on our cart, stopping us in our tracks.

Stitches were clear on its gloved hands, and stepping back into the light was...

"Freddy!" Wh-what had Marie done to him!? A metal frame was wrapped around his neck, holding his head upright with a hoop at the top.

His entire body had metal pieces sticking out of its trembling inky form. He was no longer stable, and with those crosses on his eyes... he died. Freddy died. I... I didn't get to him in time.

"Freddy" tilted his head, studying us before readjusting his hands. The vehicle rocked as he lifted us up off the track, stepping forward, and threw us far across to the other side of the room. Baby and me hit hard, the bar breaking open and sending us tumbling to the floor.

My muscles twitched, and I rolled over to my hands and knees. I-I couldn't do this. I could kill a thousand searchers, b-but Freddy!?

" **Meet the new and improved Freddy!"** Marie declared gleefully, as my friend let out a roar and charged towards us.

His now enlarged arms swung with each step, showing no sign of slowing down.

"Move!" Baby grabbed my wrist, and dragged me out of the way as "Freddy" collided with a table close to us. The wood turned to splinters on contact, scattering on the floor where we initially stood.

My legs found themselves back underneath me, and I stumbled in keeping up with Baby.

"I took what I wanted, and in return, I gave him so much more! And this time," she continued as the animatronic and me backed away.

" _ **There's no Ink Demon, no escape."**_

At that comment, Circus Baby growled darkly, actually taking me by shock. The animatronic did get mad, yeah, but wh-what did that mean? Wh-why would she kill me!?

 ** _"Freddy, tear her apart! Leave nothing!"_**

"Baby, I-I can't do this! I can't kill Freddy!" I shouted, tears starting to form in the corners of my eyes.

My Freddy, my friend, sh-she did this to him. Killed him. Removed vital parts, and twisted him into some Frankenstein monster. Who cared if I sounded weak! Who cared if I sounded desperate! I wasn't going to kill my friend!

"Doll, pull your head together!" Baby snapped. Her hand was still on my wrist, and I just noticed that her grip was even tighter than before. W-was it the fact that she was pulled into this fight with me, or was it what Marie said?

"That ain't your Freddy anymore! If you don't fight back, you can say goodbye to seein' Mike again."

"B-but-!" Baby yanked me across the room to behind a couch, just as "Freddy" came barrelling through again.

The boxes and bags were scattered across the room, nothing being stable in his rampage.

Baby quickly released my wrist, now red from her hold, and slid her glove over her arm abo-a Gent machine!

"Get a weapon and fight. You wanna save yourself and everyone, you gotta know when to cross a line."

"B-but I can't-AH!" "Freddy" came running straight at me from the side, having caught us off guard, and I soared across the room.

My back, already aching from every fall I'd taken, from the elevator fall to falling several stories at the start of my journey, struck the wall.

A gust of breath left my lungs on contact, with small drops of saliva. Every nerve, every part of me screamed in agony, but the impact shook my head and rattled my senses. I-I couldn't think straight.

All I could do was lie there whimpering and hissing in pain. Baby stood back where I was just seconds ago, stunned. Eyes wide, and not believing what she had seen.

Every time she had been with me, she had seen me get hurt. When I was coming to after being knocked out from the fall earlier, I could hear how panicked she was about me.

I never knew if it was because she was possibly using me, or because she missed having someone to talk to, but the emotion was there. All of those times though, she would snap back to her normal sarcastic and demeaning behavior.

But as I blearily looked at him as "Freddy" shoved past her, forcing her to move... something I had never seen before crossed her face.

Pure. Raw. Anger.

With a howl, Baby dashed forward as "Freddy" lumbered towards me, still too inured to get up. With a leap, Baby latched onto "Freddy's" back, hands around the pipes embedded in his back.

The bear gave an animalistic shriek, trying to grab at Baby. Nothing seemed to shake him off though. Baby, with small but extremely sharp claws poking out from her gloves, slashed and hacked at "Freddy's" back.

Ink streams flew from the gouges, as the little demon strove to take down the monster.

I laid there, frozen. Terrified. I had seen Baby mad. Mad at me for assuming she would go back on her promise for keeping an eye on me.

Mad at going after "Freddy", despite it possibly killing me in the process. There, right in front of me... was something that shook me to my core.

And that scream. There was only one other creature in the studio I knew could make that sound... and he succeeded in driving me insane as I searched for a way out.

"Freddy" stumbled about the tiled portion of the room, knocking over and into things as he fought to pry off the demon.

Keeping a hand on the wall, I climbed to my feet once again and inched along the edge of the track to the Gent machine.

Freddy...Baby needed my help. S-he couldn't do this alone. I wanted to-I needed someone to be there for me right now, and someone n-needed me.

Now tha-that "Freddy" was that... I had no choice... but to fight.

The pipe fell out of the machine, and I snatched it up before it could hit the floor. Baby had finally been caught in "Freddy's" meaty hands, the bear having pried the demon off of his back, and showed no sign of letting go.

Her small frame was wrapped in a fist, head bobbing above it just where her neck should've been.

Even without the neck though, I could see the black flush on Baby's cheeks, struggling to breathe. The enraged demon struggled against her binds, but it was fruitless.

"Freddy" roared, the sound pushing the demon's head back, and threw her across the room and into the organ. The pipes bent on impact, emitting a ghastly moan and a cloud of dust.

"Baby!" I shouted.

"Freddy" slowly turned around, locking his dead eyes on me.

I snapped to the side, just as "Freddy" rammed into the wall right beside the machine and leaving a large dent in the old wooden wall.

Sliding back on my dress shoes, I gripped the pipe with two hands, and lashed out. Letting go with one hand, I swung as hard as I could, right across his back.

The impact created was not deep by any means, but the length stretched from the top of his shoulder diagonally to the lower part of his back.

 _ **"NO! No! No! No!"**_ The one strike was all I needed, as Baby managed to wear him down enough for me to finish the job.

A torrent of ink flowed from his back where we combined our attacks, and as "Freddy" struggled to hold it together, he collapsed onto his back.

"Marie's" shrieks came from the speakers, but I didn't even heed them. My friend... my friend was dying in front of me... and it was-no.

N-no... it wasn't my fault. It was hers. It was "Marie". I... I did what I swore I'd do. I swore I'd find my friend, and I did... at least now, he was f-free from pain.

 ** _"Why can't you ever just die!?"_**

"You're... you're free now, Freddy," I whispered, holding one of his fingers in my hands as tears began to form in the corners of my eyes.

His head slumped to the side, staring up at me. Could he see me? I didn't know. B-but he needed this. He needed to know I was there, there for him in his last final moments.

"I-I promised you... I promised I'd get them out, right? I-I will. I'll get them out. I-I will! I... I...!"

Something brushed against the side of my face, and I noticed that Freddy had removed his other hand from his chest as an inky puddle formed underneath him, and used his index finger to swipe at the water on my cheek. A faint smile was on his face, as his form started to shake and quiver.

Starting from his feet, and spreading up to his head, "Freddy" began to turn pure inky black.

I almost started sobbing again. I kept his hand in mine, as he kept his other hand by my face, until... until he finally left this world, melting away into the floor just as every other creature I had battled. But he... he was no monster. He was my friend. Now...

Freddy was dead, and... the tears finally ran without any sign of stopping. "F... Fred-"

"Marylin, look out!" Baby's sudden shout made me snap upwards, as a fierce cry came from ahead of me.

"Marie", sprinting through the open doors of the exit, flailed her arms ready to strangle me to death. Her fingers were extended, and just as Baby had done with Freddy, was more than ready to attack with the fierceness of a wild animal.

Just as she was a foot away, I could hear the footsteps of Baby running behind me to try and get to me first. But it was no use. Hands extended, it was clear that the angel was going to get to me first.

I brought my arms up around my head, ready to block the attack. My pipe was abandoned across the floor, leaving me without a weapon.

This was it. After being forced into killing my friend, I was going to be strangled to death. Burying my face in my little blockade, I waited for the feeling of sharpened nails to sink into my skin, and rip my throat out. I was-I was going to di... die...?

"Marie" had... stopped. I lowered my arms hesitantly, and I found her staring down at her chest. To both of our shock, right in the center... was a machete.

The blade was run through her body like butter, stopping her in her tracks. Choked gasps escaped her deformed mouth as the weapon was pulled out, and "Marie" placed a hand on the hole.

Her eyes looked from it, to me, until finally she collapsed on the ground off to my side, just where "Freddy" previously was.

 _ **"I'm sorry sister, I had no other choice!"**_

In a black dress and bow just like hers, with green covering part of it around the middle, a green belt and strap around her chest and going over her shoulder... was Marie.

Marie h-had the machete. Bu-but this wasn't my Marie. Sh-this one was complete. Not deformed, or c-corrupted in any way. And right behind her, thumping a pipe into a mechanical hand... was Freddy, with a narrowed look that showed he was anything but happy.

"Marie" and Freddy... killed by...? Wh-what was...?

"B-Baby, I'm g-gonna... gonna..." faint. Overwhelmed and injured, I went and fainted in front of everyone.

* * *

 **A/N:** The Angel character at the end belong to my wattpad friend, Sammy, also known as PastelFlug.


	25. Filler Chapter: Welcoming Elizabeth

Night had fallen not long ago in the city. Circus Baby's Pizza World had closed up for the weekend, and the building was quiet. That was, for the most part.

Funtime Freddy nearly tripped over himself as he adjusted his hold on the pile of towels he was carrying in his arms. It was times like this he could hardly stand having Bon-Bon for a hand. "You keepin' up, Foxy?" He glanced behind as he stumbled down the hall, clearly struggling to both see where he was going and keep his balance.

"I'm comin', Freddy." Funtime Foxy replied not far behind, carrying her own stack of towels, albeit with much less trouble. "Are you sure you don't think we might've gotten too many?"

Funtime Freddy bit his lip at the question, his expression laced with worry. "I... I really don't know, Foxy. We might not need all of them, but I'd rather have too many than too little, y'know?" He chuckled weakly, although it was evident he was hardly in a mood for jokes. "It's not every day someone 'round here has a baby, after all, and... Well, I just wanna be prepared."

Foxy's ears lowered slightly. She couldn't stand seeing her best friend so nervous, but at the same time she could hardly blame him. She wasn't at all experienced with this sort of thing, none of the toons were for the most part. "Uh-huh, I understand. Better safe than sorry..."

They finally came up to the bedroom door, with Funtime Freddy slowly coming to a stop right outside of it and setting the towels down on the wooden floor.

"What's the holdup?" Funtime Foxy tilted his head slightly and looked over the stack in his arms.

Funtime Freddy stared at the door for a moment, his hands fidgeting. "Just... preparing myself..." He took a breath and exhaled slowly. "...I'm nervous, Foxy. I don't have any sort of first hand knowledge about this sort of thing, and come to think of it neither does Baby. Everything we know is just stuff we've read and heard about..."

"Hey..." Foxy set her own pile of towels down and came over, putting a hand on Freddy's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay, Freddy. Baby is tough, I'm sure she'll be just fine."

"I know..." Funtime Freddy nodded quietly. "I know, you're right... I just gotta stop being a worry bear and be ready to help her, no matter how scared I am."

"That's the spirit." Foxy smiled, her tail wagging slightly. "You've got this, I'm sure of it. You and Baby both."

Funtime Freddy nodded again, looking up to give his friend a smile. "You're the best, Foxy. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

Foxy chuckled, her tail wagging faster. "Aw, you know I'm always here to help. 'Capable fox' is my middle name." She stood up to her full height once more, glancing back down the hallway. "Well, I'll leave you both to it. Just holler if you need me, alright?"

"Will do." Funtime Freddy smiled once more, waving as his friend started back down the hall. He took another breath and turned back to the door. No turning back now.

The door to the bedroom opened with a gentle creak. It was dark outside, the room's main source of light coming from a small lamp in the opposite corner. A simple, two-person bed lay situated near the adjacent wall, it's loosely-tied curtains about each bed post giving an extra layer of privacy to its occupant. Funtime Freddy paused for only a moment to take in the scene before entering, a few towels wrapped tucked under his arm. The rest could wait outside for a moment, right now he had someone else he wanted to check on.

He quietly approached the bed and drew the thinly veiled curtain back. There she was. His beautiful, darling clown. She was wearing a soft, silken robe, reclined on a pile of pillows, a book in one hand, and her other hand gently cradling her large belly. She looked up the moment she saw him pull the curtain aside and gave him a smile as she set her book down.

"Evening, dearest..."

"Hey Baby..." Funtime Freddy replied, his voice barely above a whisper. He set the towels on the nightstand next to the lamp and sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching up and entwining his hand with hers. "How are you doing...?"

Baby took a small breath, her free hand gently making circles on her rounded stomach. "The same as when you saw me ten minutes ago. They've been coming pretty regularly now..."

He nodded, a small sliver of worry still twinging inside of him. Baby's contractions, as Marie told him, would be coming at steady intervals with a high intensity by the time the baby was ready to be born. He already didn't like Baby being in pain, even if it was still mild, and the prospect of it getting worse only added to his unease.

Baby squeezed his hand tighter, sensing the worry on his face. "Did you find the towels you were looking for?"

"Hm? Oh, heh, yeah..." He gestured to the door behind him. "We didn't know how many to grab, so we just... sort of took them all."

She laughed softly. "Well, better safe than anything, I suppose. We definitely won't be short on them now."

"Yeah, phew, that's a relief," he chuckled and pretended to wipe sweat off his forehead before going quiet again. "... Is there anything else I can do to help? For now, at least?"

Circus Baby glanced back down at her belly before giving him another smile. "If you could just stay here, with me, that would be enough. We've got time before anything exciting happens."

Funtime Freddy didn't have to be told twice about that. Another nod and he had already climbed the rest of the way onto the bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. He brought his opposite hand down to her stomach, his fingers tracing random little patterns across the fabric of her robe. He could feel their little one shifting about in there, as if they were adjusting their position until they got comfortable. Every little movement made his inky heart flutter with a joy and pride unlike anything he'd felt before. This was their baby. Their baby that they had made together, against all odds. And now it was almost time for them to finally come into the world.

Starting a family had truly been a long series of trial and error for both of them, seeing as they were animationic created by the great creator and therefore had no actual parents. William Afton may have given them life, but who was to say whether they could create life of their own? It had taken months of trying, buildups of hope that would only be dashed later on, late nights filled with disappointment and tears, but they eventually finally got what they wanted so badly.

Funtime Freddy knew he'd never forget the joy he felt when Baby told him the news. How they held each other as tightly as they could, tears flowing freely. He couldn't even begin to contain his excitement during that time. He was going to be a father.

Baby nuzzled the top of his head, bringing her hand to rest on top of his on her belly. "What're you thinking about...?"

"Mmm..." He hummed softly and nuzzled her back. "Just thinking about how..." He trailed off a moment, searching for the right words.

"How big I've gotten?" She murmured with a small laugh.

"No," he snorted softly and pulled her closer, "I was gonna say something along the lines of how beautiful you are... How lucky I am to have you..."

"Ah," she grinned and pressed a small kiss to his head, "I think I'm very lucky to have you too."

Funtime Freddy couldn't hold back a small purr as she kissed him."I love you so much, Baby..." He leaned his head down and gently kissed her belly. "And we love you too, kiddo. Don't be afraid to hurry up so we can meet you sooner, now."

Baby managed a small laugh before another contraction made its way down her back and across her stomach, causing her to wince slightly and take a breath as it ran its course. "Oh, she'll be here soon enough, don't worry..." She spoke with a slight strain in her voice, her hand massaging small circles on her large baby bump.

Worry crossed Freddy's face again as he felt her tense up. He brought his hand that was previously across her shoulders down to gently rub her back. "Think it's a girl, huh?" He gave her a small smile and gently squeezed her hand, hoping he could help take her mind off the pain.

"Mm..." She leaned into his touch, exhaling again as the contraction started to subside. "A little girl would be wonderful... But don't get me wrong, I'd be equally happy with a boy..."

Funtime Freddy nodded, continuing to rub her back as she relaxed. "I understand. I'll be just as happy either way as well. Boy, girl, as long they're healthy, I'll be the happiest demon."

She nodded quietly, another small smile crossing her face. "And I'll be the happiest angel as well..." She closed her eyes and rested her head on his once again. "In the meantime, think I might try and rest a bit... Just while I still can..."

"Oh, of course..." He pulled her close once again. "Rest as long as you need, darling."

"You promise you'll stay here?"

"Cross my heart."

She smiled sleepily and kissed his cheek once more. It wasn't long after that she had dozed off, leaving Funtime Freddy awake and still holding her gently. He brushed a lock of her dark hair behind her ear, pressing a small kiss to her forehead and resting his head on hers. Even when she was tired and waiting for their baby to arrive, she still looked absolutely divine to him. He closed his eyes and buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, eventually nodding off himself.

"... Freddy..."

Freddy's eyes twitched as he started to come back to. "Mmm..."

"Freddy, darling, wake up..." He felt a hand squeeze his arm.

"Baby...?" He mumbled and blinked his eyes, lifting his head up from the pillow and rubbing his eyes. "You okay...?"

Circus Baby panted softly, her chest rising and falling with every steady breath she took. Her hand closest to Funtime Freddy was gripping his arm, her other hand was holding her swollen belly. "I think... you might need to get the towels ready..."

Freddy's heart leapt into his throat. He scrambled off the bed and gathered up the towels he'd left on the nightstand. "Y-You think it's time?" He set the towels at the foot of the bed and helped her sit up against the pillows, quickly taking his hand in hers once more.

Baby winced as she pulled herself into a sitting position, immediately gripping his hand tightly. "I don't know for sure, but... It hurts a lot more than it did before..."

Funtime Freddy bit his lip. She had to be getting close. How close, he wasn't sure, but she had to be getting sat on the edge of the bed again and squeezed her hand. "It's okay if it hurts, Baby...Marie told us it should feel like that..."

Baby nodded and took several more deep breaths as she reclined her head back on the pillows. "One thing's for certain... This baby is definitely part animatronic..." She gave him a weak smile.

He managed a small grin at her little joke. "Hey, all the more proof that I'm the dad, right?" He brushed her hair aside and kissed her cheek, quietly praying she couldn't hear how loudly his heart was pounding. He was terrified, but he knew Baby needed his support more than anything else in this moment. "Just hold my hand if you want and keep breathing. The baby'll be here before we know it..."

She nodded again and closed her eyes, her eyebrows knitted in pain and . She breathed in . She exhaled ...Out...

Funtime Freddy inhaled and exhaled with her, both to help her keep time and ease his own nerves. Baby is strong, he told himself. Their baby would be just as strong. He just needed to be there for her.

They continued together for what must have been hours, although to Funtime Freddy it could have just as well been only a few minutes. Through every painful contraction, every time she gripped his hand, every time he helped her breathe through it, he never left her side.

More time passed. Baby only cried out in pain a few times, but it shattered his heart every time. He went to the foot of the bed to check her later on, where he could confirm things were definitely progressing. He pulled the bed sheets covering her legs up to her knees and gave her an encouraging grin. The baby had her hair, he told her. Despite her pain, Baby couldn't hold back a smile at the statement. Time passed again, things progressed again as well. Then, not much later at all, the cry of a newborn filled the room.

Baby fell back against the pillows as she heard the shrill cry, panting heavily as she grinned up at the did it. She lifted her head just in time to see Funtime Freddy hold up a tiny, squirming infant in a ink-drenched towel.

"It's a girl, Baby!" Funtime Freddy laughed and gave her the biggest smile he possibly could. "We have a baby girl!"

A choked sob of delight escaped Baby at the announcement of their baby's gender. Tears ran freely down her face as Funtime Freddy carried the wailing baby girl over and gently placed her on her chest, towel and all.

"Oh, hello, hellolittle one..." Baby spoke softly between sobs, gently rubbing her newborn daughter's back and wiping away the ink she was covered in. "Look at you...Oh, you're so beautiful..." The baby continued to cry loudly and squirmed in the towel she was wrapped in, clearly voicing her discomfort with this new world she was thrust into and trying to get closer to the familiar voice she heard. Her hair was still damp and crimson red just like her mother's, and as Baby cleaned her off she could see she had the same off-white skin as both of her parents.

Baby gave the infant a tiny nuzzle and kissed her head. "Shhhh... Mama's here. Mama's got you, sweetie..." Slowly, the baby girl's cries reduced down to whimpers as she was soothed by her mother's voice and touch.

Funtime Freddy grinned and wiped away his own tears as he watched his brand new daughter meet her mother for the first time. They'd done it. After months of trying and another nine months of preparing, their little girl was finally here. He sniffed and wiped his eyes again beforecoming over to sit next to Baby.

"She's perfect, Baby... I'm so proud of you..." He kissed her cheek and laid his head on her shoulder once again, his hand coming up and gently playing with their baby girl's hair, absolutely enchanted by this tiny little life that he helped create.

Baby blinked back more tears and leaned into Freddy, smiling as their daughter finally calmed down and stopped fussing. She made small noises as she lay on her mother's chest, her eyes still closed tight and her tiny hands already clinging to the fabric of her mother's robe. "Have you ever seen anything as beautiful as her?"

"Never... I've never seen anything like her at all..." Funtime Freddy smiled as he continued to stroke the baby's hair. He could just barely feel tiny nubs on her head underneath her hair, where horns would most likely grow when she got older. "Say, you remember the name we picked out if she was a girl?"

Baby nodded quietly, turning her head slightly to meet his gaze. "You think it's a good name for her?"

Funtime Freddy nodded in return, another smile coming to his face. "Yeah...Elizabeth. That's what we should call her."

Baby smiled back at him, returning her gaze back to her sleeping daughter. "Our little Elizabeth..."

The couple lay together in silence, simply taking in the sheer beauty of the moment as a new family. Funtime Freddy eventually got up and fetched a clean blanket, and Alice used another towel to fully dry her off before transferring her over to the blanket Funtime Freddy had brought. Now all clean and warm as she slept, Funtime Freddy gently played with her tiny hands and laughed softly when she gripped onto one of his fingers in her sleep. "Wait till Foxy sees her. He's gonna be so excited..."

Baby hummed softly in agreement. "Marie's gonna been excited too. She's going to flip when she learns I had the baby over the weekend."

"That'll be a fun way to start the Monday, huh," Funtime Freddy chuckled. "I bet Henry will be happy to meet her too."

"Mm, I couldn't imagine anyone wouldn't be happy..." Baby closed her eyes and rested her head on Freddy's . "She might even get a smile out of William, I'd bet..."

"Oh, now that would be something. She'd have accomplished something few people have done."

Baby was about to reply when Elizabeth started to fuss again, whining softly and nuzzling her mother's chest as if she were searching for something. "Oh, hold on, I think I know what she wants." She gently scooped the baby up with her blanket. " Freddy, could you...?"

"Hm? Oh, I got her." Funtime Freddy carefully took Elizabeth in his hands and cradled her, grinning as she squirmed in his arms and blearily opened her eyes. "Hey there, sweetie, you have a nice nap? I'm your dad, by the way, in case you were wondering." He grinned as she blinked and looked up at him curiously. She had the pie-cut eyes that Baby has, and the same off-white skin. "You know, I think the two of us are gonna be good friends. You, Baby , and I, we're goin' places, I just know it."

Baby chuckled softly as she watched Elizabeth meet her father. Even to babies, he seemed to have an irresistible charm. She pulled the shoulder of her robe down, exposing the lower part of her chest. "Alright, you can hand her back now."

"One baby, comin' right up," Funtime Freddy chuckled and gently passed her back. He leaned back on the pillows once more and watched as Baby carefully adjusted her hold on their baby girl until she was in a comfortable position to nurse.

"C'mon, sweetie, you must be hungry," Baby murmured softly, letting Elizabeth familiarize herself with this new position. After another moment she finally latched on properly and started to nurse. "There you go..." Baby breathed a small sigh of relief and leaned back again. "From what Marie's told me, I'm gonna get used to feeding her like this. Some babies can nurse for up to a year or longer."

Freddy nodded quietly, not taking his eyes off their daughter. "It's pretty fascinating, if you ask me."

Elizabeth nursed for a short while longer before she finally had her fill of milk. She released and made a soft squeaking noise before nuzzling her head into her mother's chest once more, making a tiny rumbling sound very much akin to a purr.

"Hold the phone..." Freddy leaned down to listen. "Is that coming from her?"

"I think so," Baby laughed and stroked the baby girl's head.

"You sure you didn't give birth to a cat, Baby?"

"Hey, out of the two of us, shedefinitelygot that from you, mister." Baby chuckled and gently headbutted him. "You purr all the time."

"What? Nooo," he nudged her back, trying to feign innocence, "surely you must have mistaken me."

"Oh no, I'm not mistaken at all." She gave him a quick kiss. "One of these days I'm going to catch you holding her and purring, mark my words."

"Hmm, I frankly see no problem with that at all." He hummed playfully and kissed her back. "We just purr to show affection sometimes. It's a demon thing..."

Baby hummed softly in response and nuzzled him once more. "Say Freddy, do you want to go and get Foxy? Just so she can meet her before we go to sleep tonight?"

"Oh, of course, toots." He nodded and got to his feet once more. "I'll be right back, I promise."

"Shoot, if only I had a red five..." Foxy scratched shis head as she mulled over her cards on the table.

Freddy quietly entered the room where Foxy was, softly knocking on the open door. "Hey Foxy?"

Foxy looked up from her game of solitaire, his tail wagging slightly. "Freddy! Is everything alright?"

Bendy exhaled quietly and nodded, giving him a wide grin. "...It's a girl."

Foxy stared at him dumbfounded for a split second, then leapt to her feet and scooped Freddy up in the tightest hug he could muster. "Gawrsh, Freddy! You're a father!" Foxy barked excitedly and spun around. "And Alice is a mother! Congrats to you both!"

"Grk-!" Freddy could barely utter a word as Foxy nearly crushed his ribcage. "Y-Yeah Foxy! We're parents-! Please let me get some air!"

"Oh! Sorry 'bout that!" Foxy quickly released him and set him down. "Guess I really don't know my own strength when I'm excited. So, when can we see her? Can we see her now?"

"We can definitely see her now if you want," Freddy laughed as he caught his breath. "We'll have to be quiet, though."

"Oh! Right, right! I'll be as quiet as a church mouse! Ahem, starting now." Foxy grinned sheepishly.

Freddy pushed the door open to the bedroom once more. "Hey Baby, Foxy is here to say hi..."

Baby grinned as she looked up from the tiny bundle in her arms. "Hey Foxy, come right in..."

Foxy approached almost cautiously, slowly kneeling down at the edge of the bed so he could get a good look at the baby that Circus Baby was holding. "Oh my goodness..." She whispered as her tail thumped gently against the floor. "She's so tiny... And so cute!" She grinned up at Baby, practically wiggling with excitement. "I've never seen anything like her before."

Baby smiled back down at him. "Neither have we, to be honest. She's probably the first baby toon, ever."

"Gawrsh, that's real exciting!" Foxy wiggled happily again as she looked back to the sleeping baby. "So, whatcha gonna call her?"

Baby looked up at Freddy as he smiled and walked over. "We were thinking of calling her Elizabeth ."

"Elizabeth?" Foxy repeated the word, giving the new parents another excited smile. "That's a real nice name! You two must be so proud right now!"

Freddy and Baby exchanged smiles with each other. "We are, Foxy." Freddy wrapped an arm around Baby as they both smiled down at their new daughter. Things were going to be different from now on, that was for certain. But the future most definitely looked bright. "We really are..."


	26. One of Three

"If anyone finds this, my name's Marylin Schmidt. And I-I've been trapped beneath the studio of Michael Afton, a man my father used to work for thirty years ago. There's... strange creatures, lurking here. Monsters, angels... and demons.

At this moment, two are holding me captive. A-and I don't know how to get out of here. But besides that... there's more. Much more. Secrets, hiding deep in the shadows that they don't want me to know. Every second feels like an eternity, and I-I know I'm being watched. Maybe not knowing, but that feeling of eyes on me... it's there, and whatever it is... I know it isn't Circus Baby.

I... I don't know what became of her.

Listen, tape. Whoever plays you, whoever may be listening to this in the future, you can't let... wait... They're coming back."

*Click*

* * *

 **Three weeks remain.**


	27. Two of Three

"... it's me again. Marylin. Been a while since i last was able to do this. There's not much to do here, really. I've been doodling on the sheets of paper with me, trying to keep my mind busy. I heard my captors arguing today, and by the looks of things, they're still uncertain of what to make of me.

I suppose it makes sense. I'm not sure what to make of them either. I... I miss them, a lot right now.

Funtime Freddy. Never said anything, but his actions spoke volumes. He was the first one to show me kindness, and that... angel, I just... I couldn't save him. Even with Baby's help... I don't know what's become of her either.

I promise. I promise I will get out of here, and I will come home, dad. You and mom... just hold on a little while longer. I will find Circus Baby, and I will make it back to you... if it's the last thing I do."

*Click*

* * *

 **Two weeks remain.**


	28. Three of Three

**Disclaimer: Circus Baby will return...**

* * *

"This is probably my last I'll be able to record in this thing. I think he saw me talking into it... might not let me keep it, unfortunately.

I... there's so much I want to say, but the most important is... I love you, dad. So... so much. And mom, I-I love you, and I'm... I'm sorry, for all of those spats we've had. But... I don't regret coming here. If it meant sparing you, dad, from all of this horror and suffering... it was worth it.

Coming to this workplace of yours, it... reminds me of all of those stories you told me. Your old coworkers, watching the animations together when I was a kid... it showed how much it had inspired me, to become who I am today. I feel close to solving all of the questions, but... a lot still doesn't make any sense to me.

If anybody ever hears this, and you make it out of here... please, don't come back. Don't go for help. Because... the Ink Demon will find you. And there will be no mercy.

... goodbye, everyone."

*Click*

* * *

 **One week remains.**


	29. Chapter 5 - The Last Reel

"I never gave up hoping, that you would come along. How bleak it seemed, till you fond me. So now I sing this song."

"... I know that song." The sentence was muffled from having my head pressed against the cot in my cell, glancing between the wooden beams of the wall at Marie. For days, I had been there, with only the drawings I'd done on the paper for entertainment. I was hungry, and the few uncooked cans of bacon soup slipped to me were not doing me any favors. Thank goodness for that washroom behind the wall panel... couldn't even stomach that.

I was getting weak. I had been knocked out so many times, that time itself had become to lose meaning. And how far was I, beneath the studio? "Everyone knows that song." I blinked, hearing the soft reply from the cartoon.

"Who are you...? Why are you here?"

"I intercepted a letter from my dad's old friend... now I'm trapped here, same as you." It made sense we both knew the song. Marie, from one of her old cartoons, sang it. Mom never really enjoyed Circus Baby, but she always had a soft spot for the angel sisters. She specifically learned the song lyrics to sing me to sleep as a kid, whenever I had a nightmare.

"Then you know more than we do," Marie said, studying the strange inky symbols she was writing on the wall opposite of my cage.

"One minute, we don't even exist... just... thoughts. And the next minute... this place."

"... are you gonna let me out of here?" I didn't like this. True, Marie didn't seem evil, like... like the other one, who k-kill... butchered Freddy. She was obviously acting to protect herself, as I was something different. But I couldn't last down there for much longer. The ink, and the food... I knew I was getting weaker. Physically, mentally, and especially emotionally.

"Down here, strangers aren't good things. How can we trust you? We don't even know what you are."

"My name is Marylin... and my father worked here, thirty years ago." I waited for a response, as for a few seconds, she was viciously writing out new details.

"I... I honestly don't know my name... so they call me Marie or Autumn Angel. But I'm no angel." Because calling her an angel... put her in the same category as that abomination.

"You go back and rest. We'll talk again later." Her face shifted to one of pity, albeit very faint. "You look like you need it."

"It's only for a few hours. No need to worry. I won't go far..."

I could hear Marie's voice, instructing what must've been Freddy. He wasn't my Freddy, no. N... no one could replace him, so my behavior around this new Freddy was... forcefully limited. Plus, he... did not seem to like me.

"Only up to level six. Just stay here."

Freddy, by the gap in conversation, seemed to not like that idea. Either being forced to play babysitter, or having his friend head out on her own.

"Keep an eye on Marylin, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise."

The door clicked shut, followed by a metallic clang... and then silence once again.

I stood at the boarded door, staring down Freddy on a seat across from me. His ax thumped against his metallic palm, and I silently studied the wires that connected to it, and up to a metal pad on his shoulder.

I was losing my mind, surely. Health dropping bit by bit each time I fell asleep, and he didn't even care to check in on me properly?

I trudged back to my cot, and flopped down on it.

I could make out his narrowed eyes through a crack in the wall, having paused in the repeated movement. We both locked eyes, before the next heavy clang echoed throughout the room. I relented to darkness once again, but with the reminder of Freddy just outside the makeshift wall...

"Marylin?"

"Hmm?" I got up off the floor from reviewing my drawings, and found Marie at my boarded door with... a bowl of bacon soup?

"Here. You must be hungry. Sorry... it's all we have." I saw steam drift up from it, showing that unlike the cans in the room with me, the bowl was obviously cooked.

She offered me a small smile, and turned to walk away. She could've said more, and it looked like she wanted to, but chose to keep it short due to the reminder I was a 'prisoner'. She knew I wasn't eating well, and she could see I was unable to stomach what I had been feeding myself.

I reached forward, eager to take the food, only for a hand to slam down and block me.

Freddy. He watched Marie turn the corner, to the other side of the room where a bookshelf kept her hidden, and he slowly turned back to me.

Then, with a flick, he sent the bowl and soup flying to the floor. The dish shattered on impact, and the soup spread across the floor. Freddy's black brow deepened, and he pointed a finger at me with his metal hand, before tightening it in a fist. The shifting of joints was loud as day, and so was his message.

He would not like me, even if Marie showed me kindness. To him, I would always be a threat to what they'd known. Freddy stormed off in the opposite direction to the right, and slammed the door on the way out.

"... jerk."

"I know you're watching me... it's just... a little creepy."

"It isn't like I have anything else to do," I replied, arms crossed on the beam.

"What are you writing there, anyway? Why the walls?"

"For some poor souls down here, it's the only way they can be heard."

"But you don't want to touch the ink for too long! It can claim you... pull you back. That's how I met Jules."

I-excuse me, Jules? Since when was there... did she mean Freddy?

"I was messing with things I shouldn't have been and he... he was there."

"Why do you call him 'Jules'? I thought his name was Freddy," I asked, genuinely curious.

"He just seems to respond to it." Did that mean he told her, or...?

"Well, I don't think he likes me all that much." Marie paused in her writing, and turned to look at me.

"Let me show you something... a while back, I was mapping out one of the upper levels..." she wandered over to me, flashing back to a memory.

"... when I noticed something reflecting off a piece of glass. I held up the glass, looked through, and on the wall behind me was a hidden message!"

"A what?"

Marie reached into a subspace pocket, and handed me an odd device. It was sort of like a crudely made mirror on a mount, with a string of small lights running around it and making an odd humming noise.

"Right there in plain sight! So I kept looking... and found more and more messages everywhere in the studio! But you can't see them with your eyes." I hesitated, but picked it up. Lifting the mirror to my face, I didn't expect to see anything. So what a surprise... when I found a glowing halo above Marie's head.

Of course... how could I ignore the ominous message in the background? "She will leave you for dead," did not make me feel any better.

"I don't know who's leaving them, but I think they know how to get out of here."

"Where does it all go?"

"... nowhere." Marie's head drooped. "I followed them for a long time... just leads me in circles. I don't think I'm meant to leave this place, Marylin." She stepped away from me, shaking her head at the horrible idea. Of being trapped there, just as... I was fearing.

"But maybe... you are."

"I-I'm sorry, what? Me?" She thought I was able to leave? Then why wouldn't she let me out?

As if reading my thoughts, or the question was plain on my face, she answered, "Jules thinks you're dangerous."

"But what do you think of me?"

"I... I think... you're the hope I've been waiting for." I was the... hope? What part of me seemed like that deserved a title? The woman on the other side wielded a machete and had a commanding aura.

I was always passing out from injuries or shock, and... and losing friends along the way.

She released the board, and began to retreat to the wall, seeing that I was deeply thinking over her words.

"Go to sleep. Maybe tomorrow will be better."

"... goodnight... Autumn." Marie paused mid-step, but by the time she turned around, I had already given in to my dreams once again.


	30. Escape

Hmmm... "Baby" has no neck, and yet Ink Baby has one. Is it truly a neck, or is that just the ink melting? It was a random thought, but thinking spontaneously was a nice distraction. One could only listen to Autumn fixing Jules' arm for so long before getting bored. So... so bored.

"That was really stupid, Jules!" She finally broke the silence, her commanding voice mixing with the cranking of machinery. "You shouldn't have gone out there! Now that she's seen you... it's only a matter of time...!" Each pause was followed with a hard yank to get things in place. What had damaged his limb so mu-wait.

"Before he finds us here."

The... Ink Demon. She... she spotted Jules?

The two stopped, and turned in my direction. I was sitting on the floor, but my face was clearly visible through the doors' cracks, turning pale at the thought. Autumn gave a forced reassuring smile, noticing that I had pieced it together, and offered me a wave before returning to work. As for Jules... the ax thumping returned.

"We can't just leave her! Not with the Ink Demon right outside the door!"

Panic. Pure panic was what I awoke to. For the first time since I had arrived there, in this cell, I was fully awake. Ink Demon... that name triggered my adrenaline, and I could hear the banging overhead as he was drawing nearer to our hideout.

"She found us?" I asked, springing from my cot and over towards them. Autumn and Jules were at the boards, and turned to see my nervous face. Hers matched mine perfectly now; a creation of fear and worry.

"She's coming... we have to move on!" She gripped one of the boards, and gestured to her wolf companion. "Jules! We have to let her out!" Autumn began to tug, and even though the wood creaked, nothing budged. Jules, with a disapproving look, rested a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. She stepped back, hands over mouth in near tears. "... I'm so sorry."

With those as her last words, Autumn bolted through the door. Jules, sparing me one last glance, followed suit. "Wh-no. Allison, come back! Autumn ! Jules!" I hollered after them, but it was no use. They weren't coming back. They... I-I... fine. Fine then. I had survived this long, I could take things into my own hands again.

"I... need something blunt, and heavy."

I checked around the small room, but even though the boxes would break down the wall, it was a bad form of a weapon. "... check the washroom." I had learned of its discovery by accident, when I first woke up. I was checking the spoon, seeing if I could use it for the bacon soup, when it turned out to be a switch to the wall panel. Perhaps there was something hidden in there that I had missed.

Tugging it down, the door slid to the side. All that was in there was the toilet, and I knew for a fact nothing was in the basin itself... what of the top part? "Let's see here... bingo." A pipe, just like what Freddy gave me before we reached the elevator. Snatching it up, I rushed to the boards and whacked them down.

"She couldn't have had tried that hard to remove them. I'm using a pipe, for crying out loud."

My exit in sight, I went to run off down the hallway the others had gone, before pausing. The mirror device sat at the foot of my bed, still humming with energy despite seeming to lack a battery.

I went back, grabbed it, and stuck it in a pocket before heading out. There were bound to be more messages, and I would obviously check for them, but right now escaping was my top priority.

Plants and inky floors greeted me along the dark hallway, and gripping my weapon closer to my stained clothes, journeyed onward. A sharp hissing noise made me jump back a step, before finding it only to be a searcher. "You're not even worth it." If Baby was that close, then I had to move quickly. Ignoring the monster, even as it went to lunge at me, I hurried through the tunnel, taking care not to slip and crack my head.

Though, after a turn to the left, the next turn to the right involved balancing on boards over a deep inky puddle. "Quick steps, Mary. No doubt there's something hiding there." There was. But by the time the creature sprung up, I was already on the other side. Still, my foot did slip at the end, drenching it and part of my left leg in the cool black liquid. "Eugh."

Dim light greeted me, and it looked like... a dock. Small candles scattered about, with the occasional studio light, with two ramps leading down into the inky sea. A massive pipe lay ahead, no doubt the way to wherever Autumn and Jules went. After all, judging from the fact there was only one barge left, they must've taken the other one. Going in the right direction then, I thought with a nod. "Let's hurry."

Taking the lever to move the boat down into the black liquid and cranking it, I watched the ride slide down and off of the platform. "Yes." The soles of my shoes were still slick, and moving down a ramp wasn't making things any easier. I clambered, foot sliding once as I got inside, and pressed the ignition button.

"Here we go." With the pipe in my left hand, I took the small lever on the control panel in my right and pushed it upwards.

If it wasn't for the small light at the front of the boat with me, I probably wouldn't have been able to see where I was going. The barge seemed like it was built on a track, as there was no way to move side to side, but that just meant I had a destination ahead no matter what. Hope it's a safe one, I mentally prayed. Hmmm... what can I do to pass the time? I got it.

"We're going on a trip, in our favorite inky ship... wow, that sounds more inappropriate when said out loud." Okay, maybe I should just focus on sailing alo-what the heck!? "Aah!" In a large cavern, just as my boat was taking a turn to the left, a massive cartoon hand rose out from the inky river. The glove was stained in the black it was hiding in, dripping and creating large waves around it. From my distance, I gripped the handle tighter, trying to steady myself. It groped the air before finding a boat in front of it, and clamped down over the canopy. The roof was crushed under its large fingers, and it dragged the vehicle down under the murky surface. "Wh-what the heck was-why aren't I moving!?"

I spun around, seeing three globs of ink jamming up the paddle. With my hand still on the lever, I swung at the ink with my left. The moment they were knocked back overboard, the boat started up again and continued along its merry way.

Ink hand! Why the-why!? Out of everything in this studio, why the heck was that a thing!? It didn't even make any sense!

"Hating this! Hating this on such an extreme level!" Was it the fact I was alone again that my strange sense of humor was leaking into my complaints again? Ever since F...Freddy was taken from me, everything had gotten so much more serious. Were things calming down now, or... was my mind forcing me to do this, as a method of coping?

"Stop sticking!"

The method kept repeating. Every dozen or so meters, and I would be forced to turn around and hit the ink blobs off the paddle for the barge to keep working. Each time that happened, I would glance up, and see the giant hand crawl along the surface of the tunnel. Each time... it would near closer, and closer, ready to jump and crush my boat. The only thing keeping me from drowning in the inky abyss. "Please be an exit, please!"

A faint trace of light appeared ahead, and soon the barge emerged from the tunnel. An inky figure sat atop a platform overhead, watching as I entered the new area. The boat came to a stop alongside a dock, and I released the lever.

"I... please, don't be following me anymore." I looked over my shoulder, and just as I had hoped, the hand did not continue its chase. Instead, it spun around and began to crawl back the way it came. Ink tendrils dripped from its surface, falling into the river beneath. "Th-there... this should be a fair distance away from Inky."

I still wished I knew where Jules and Autumn went though. It was no doubt that the boat I saw earlier was theirs, and seeing how it was empty, meant they were off somewhere else in the studio... cavern... thing. At this point, with how far below the surface I was, I didn't even consider all of this an animation studio anymore.

It would do me no good thinking back on them, however. They... they left me. If I wanted to progress, then I had to focus, and keep looking ahead. I would find Circus Baby, no matter what, and we were going to escape this place.

"Now then." I surveyed the roughly put-together town, my feet hitting the old boards with a creak. "Where am I, and where to next?"


	31. Fight Club

Disclaimer: The first rule of fight club... is we don't discuss fight club.

"Of course my one exit is broken." I hopped onto the ground on the other side, seeing the dock the boat was at sink into the black makeshift water. Sometimes, it either seemed that things happened just to annoy me, or a... a certain inky demon was following from the shadows.

"Circus Baby, where are you?" She couldn't be dead. She couldn't be. She might've been injured after fighting Freddy, but she was still alive. The problem was, I didn't know how far away from that room I was now, or if... if the Ink Demon found her already.

"Just... focus on getting away from this place first. After that, you go after her." I stood in the middle of the area, gazing around at the broken hideaway I found myself in. Small shack-like buildings stacked poorly on top of each other, with a tall wooden fence going around the backside and a locked wooden door.

Directly ahead of me was a boarded up entrance into a tunnel, with papers stuck around it. Papers, with inky hand prints. Sometimes with three, four, or five fingers. The...Lost Ones. No doubt, it was from them changing form.

I did wonder though... if were any secret messages hidden at this gateway, besides the common ink messages found throughout the studio. Bringing it out from my pocket, as the device was long enough to stick out, I held it in front of me.

"Once people. Now fallen into despair." That, uh... certainly summed up a lot of what I pieced together.

I shone the light around, having my frown twist into one of nervousness at the only other message I found. "You bring death," and the O in the first word was a skull.

"Not a good omen." Pocketing the machine, I stepped up the two steps towards the tunnel, walking towards my only clear exit. "Guess this is the next way to go-AH!"

The boards broke down onto the floor at my feet in rapid succession, and a gargled voice emitted from within the darkness.

"Ink Baby!?"

"BETRAYED! ABANDONED!"

I ran back towards the river, spinning around to find an ink person sprinting out of the hole, flinging an ax around wildly. The person paused for a few seconds, and my heart froze.

William!? He was ali-how? How!? Baby killed him, didn't she? How did he get there, down this far into the studio?

"I trusted you! I gave you everything... and you left me to rot! Why...? WHY!?"

With that, the deranged once-human charged at me, ax high over his head. "Crap!" I jumped to the side, barely missing the sharpened blade as it was brought down. I ran around the land, as he stalked me, swinging the weapon if I got to close.

His mumbles stuck in my head though, hearing how he was 'forsaken'. Did he mean Ink Baby? How his 'lord' attacked him instead of going after me?

"W-William, that wasn't my fault! I didn't do anything!" I slid across the ground, tearing small holes into my pants as I avoided another swing; the blade narrowly missing my neck. It was no use.

In his mind, I was Baby. I was the 'savior', who attacked and tried to kill him. No matter what I did now, wouldn't get through to him.

But how was I supposed to break away from the old employee with my life intact?

I foolishly reminded myself, one key fact slipping through my mind in my panic.

Gripping the metal tool in my hand, I ducked as he swung again at me, and lashed my own arm outwards. The impact wasn't expected, and William's mask was sent flying across the room.

His attacks halted, and he reached up to try and cover what little face he had. "No! Don't look at me. Stay away..." He dashed a few feet away from me, and I blinked at the sudden change in attitude. Did the guy really just go from murderous rampage to that, because of a mask?

I kept my tightened hold on my weapon, shuffling closer. Perhaps a strike to the back of his head would knock him out, long enough for me to esca-

A black hand snatched at the collar of my shirt, hoisting me into the air.

William hissed at me, and while I could not see any mouth, I could feel his hot breath against my face. Large, sunken spots in the ink represented what remained of his eyes, narrowed at me with pure malice.

"Ah! You lied to me! You said I'd be free! Well, I'm going to free you now!" He threw me to the ground at his feet, and I reached for my shirt where his cold hands were pressed against my skin. I stared up in horror, as he thumped the ax in his hands.

"Free your head right off your shoulders!"

I-I couldn't fight him. Not like this. In my current position, and my current weapon, I had no chance. I'm... I'm going to die. It wasn't by Marie, or by Ink Baby, like I thought it'd be, but by the music director.

"Sheep, sheep, sheep... it's time for... sleep."

The blade raised high over his head, and just as he began to bring it down onto my skull, a blade-an ax... met his own.

The sound of ink-like bone shattering as it pierced his head stunned me into silence, and William stumbled before falling to my side.

"... Jules?" The bear in question gripped the handle of the weapon in the dead man's head, ripping it free. His serious black eyes met mine, before flipping the ax in his hand and holding out the handle for me to grab.

"Hehe... th-thank you." He pulled me to my feet, releasing the object and picking up William's fallen ax.

"That was close! You're lucky we were in the neighborhood." Autumn walked up alongside us, before awkwardly patting my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

I glared at her for a few seconds, showing just how poorly the question was at the moment. "No. But I've been better. I just... I'm angry you two left me for dead, but it isn't the first time I had a friend down here who was more concerned with their safety at first." I had to convince Baby to join me, and I was glad it didn't take an insane and corrupted man to do it. My glare finally dulled, and I smiled back. "I'm just glad to have company."

A soft, but very noticeable rumble echoed from within the buildings around us, and our trio backed closer together, forming a triangle and looking around at all sides. "That... was not Baby, was it?"

"The Ink Demon? No... I don't think so. The Searchers and the Lost Ones built this place... William must have been keeping them at bay. Now that he's gone-looks like we're in for a fight. Get ready!" On her command, the ink monsters sprung up around our feet, dragging themselves close to begin their assault.

"Watch out! Here they come!"

Autumn was strong, just from how she talked. But seeing her with her machete, and slashing the beasts was almost done in an elegant manner. It was like she was dancing, while Jules kept along a method of aiming for their heads. As for myself, I aimed for their chests, watching as the blade went through the body as if it were butter. How was it that they could attack, and think, when they were only mere ink? Was it something in the ink that made them alive?

"I've never seen this many before!" Autumn called, more than likely an observation. The lost ones, just as she had said earlier, began to run out from within the corners of the buildings, stumbling and approaching us. Were we seen as threats? Possibly. They could've seen Autumn as Marie , who no doubt tormented the poor souls I saw earlier when I was still with Baby.

"Jules!" I swung my blade, striking a lost one in the back and splitting its inky body into pieces as it neared the toon from behind. I ran up to his side, as he nodded in appreciation. Pointing ahead right where the tunnel was, we saw Autumn charging towards two searchers wearing miner hats.

Quickly, we followed after her, striking our larger blades into them and watching the ink puddle form where they once formed.

"Look out!" I felt a hand push me to the side, just as Autumn whirled around and stabbed a Lost One through its chest. The ink being held my pipe in its hand, having it aimed at the back of my head.

"I think that's all of them..." her words shown how tired she was from the onslaught, but no other monsters or lost souls had risen up to fight us. "... but you never know where they're going to crawl out next. Probably best if we stay together from now on." She turned to me, sliding her weapon back into her belt.

"Marylin? Think you can lead the way?"

"Me?" I bent down to retrieve the pipe, and carried it in my other hand. It was impractical to carry a large ax, and a smaller weapon like that, but it seemed best to have both just in case I lost or damaged one.

"I... I have a mission, to get whoever is still sane out of here. I lost Freddy, and I don't know where Baby is... but I'll try and get you two out of here with me." I moved to the wooden door off to the side, and broke it open with the ax, letting the two doors swing open to reveal our new route.

The tunnel ahead, now showing signs of a partially finished hallway, had zero flooring. While there were lights overhead, and actual walls, the floor consisted of beams precariously stretching across the abyss beneath.

"Where... I fainted when you found, but... what happened to my friend?"

Autumn and Jules exchanged a look, and he gestured with his mechanical hand to me. She sighed, before turning to answer. "Your friend fell unconscious not long after I took out the angel, but we didn't take her with us. Sorry, but with how much she bore resemblance to the Ink Demon, we thought she-"

"Was a threat," I finished for her. "It's... she attacked Freddy after he was b-butchered by Marie. Shee got hurt trying to protect me." I faced the pathway ahead, hands gripping my weapons more tightly than needed. "I hope she's still alive."

She moved up alongside me, black lips offering a small smile. "You will. Now let's go." She stepped ahead, before suddenly giving me a confused look. "Why did you call me Autumn?"

"Marie used to be Marie Campbell, a voice actress of the studio who played the character. However, I think she became the cartoon she voiced after finding out about being replaced by a girl named Autumn Pendle. I'm... I-I think that's you." The two now were listening completely, and I knew that my vague knowledge I had found in the studio had payed off. If it was my dad, who knew almost all of the workers, he might have had a better chance at explaining than I would.

"I think that whatever happened to her, to turn her into a toon she voiced, happened to you. But unlike Marie, you must've... not carried any of your memories of your past life."

"I was... like you?" Her voice was soft, trying to make sense of my words. "But then... what about Jules?"

"Freddy must've been another worker of the studio, which one I don't know. One of the projectionists of the studio, Norman, was transformed into a monster with a projector for a head. I-I thought he wasn't going to attack me when I first saw him, but then... Ink Baby ran in as I was hiding to rip his head off, dr-dragging his body away. A man who tried to create a theme park of Circus Baby, turned into a ride himself. I just... none of this makes any sense. Why is all this happening. Why was... why was my dad asked to come to this place?" Was he going to suffer the same fate as everyone else...?

A large hand rested on my shoulder, this time being Jules. His black eyes were sad, and confused, just as the rest of us were.

"Mary..." Autumn spoke for the two of them, sighing deeply as the information rested in her head.

"Whatever happened to us, and what led us all here... that's in the past. If we want to get out, we need to focus ahead. Worrying on what has happened before, even if we can't remember, isn't going to help... and if you want to call me, Autumn, you can go ahead. I don't mind." It sounded like an afterthought, but not a bad one.

A name, even though she couldn't recall the past with it, was something. She liked it, and I was glad she did. I nodded, feeling the warmth of Jules' palm retract.

"Okay. Be careful though. These boards don't seem exactly stable." I approached the edge, peering over to look at the pit. That was a fall. I had done so before, falling large distances, but each time either hurt me or knocked me out. Resting a foot on top of it, and pressing my weight down on it. It creaked, but that was all. "Okay. Nice and slow now."

I stepped onto the plank, and moved onto the next one. Testing the weight, I pressed my foot onto it.

"We're almost the-!" The wooden beam under my shoe gave out, and I flung my arms desperately to catch myself. It was like the very first time I was in the studio, watching my fingers miss the walkway as gravity crashed in around me.

"MARYLIN!" Autumn's horrified cry echoed over my head as I dropped, plummeted down into the abyss. I spun around to stare up at hers and Jules' faces, watching them fade away until I no longer could see the surface where I last was. The weapons in my hands had already fallen past me, and before I knew it, my back crashed against the ink below.

It was cold, it was unexpected, and it stunned me. My first drop hurt my back. The second in the elevator knocked me out, but at least I was still able to breathe clean air. But there, black spots flooded my vision and my lungs. It stung, and choked me. Wrapping tendrils around my throat, and dragging me deeper and deeper to the bottom.

Binding my arms, and pulling me away from the warmth of the surface. My heart was heavy like lead, and my head was buzzing. N-no. Not buzzing. It was... whispers. Unintelligible whispers, overlapping each other.

Was this... like what Marie meant? Being reborn in a well of screaming voices? It... seemed about right. Ho-how many times was I close to death, that things... started to act off? Arms trying to pull me in through the walls, and what happened in the archives... I was dying the moment I entered the studio, and now... now it was no doubt.

Cold... cold... everything was blurred now, and then... it wrapped around my arm. Tightly, and not letting me go. I was being forced to the surface, and I felt my body break through the ink and dragged onto the floor.

I rolled onto my back and hacked up the that flooded my system. I-it burned. It burned horribly, as if my insides were set on fire. Spots were still there in my eyes, and it was still cold, but... I was alive.

"Heh... heh... nice to find ya again, kid. Been lookin' all over for ya."

I slowly lifted my head up at the voice, and almost had my arms give out in sheer shock. I-it couldn't be from near drowning, could it? I-were my eyes playing tricks on me, or was it really...? "B-Baby?"

Whether or not he was an illusion, I could hear the ink splattering the floor at her feet as it ran down her body.

Animationic's eyes met my own, and she swiped the liquid falling in front of her eyes, chest rising up and down in heavy gasps for air just like myself.

"Heh... the one and only... miss me?"


	32. Learninging the Truth

Circus Baby. Circus Baby the Clown was... alive. A-alive and in... front of me.

"You're-missed you? Missed you!? Idiot, what do you think!?" I lunged forward, grabbing her by the shoulders and dragging her into a hug. She didn't fight it, but allowed me to cling to her, fearing she'd go and melt through the floorboards. Frankly, I also wanted to slap him for scaring me half to death. I-I had no idea if he was alive or not before this point, and I had no clue how long it had been since I had last seen her. I just... I needed this hug. So... so badly. "H-how the heck did you get down he-holy cow, Baby, your eye!"

Her left eye was covered by a torn brown cloth with a animationic eye painted on it. Two thin strips of the same brown fabric branched off from the bottom left and upper right, running around her head to hold it in place. A plunger was left a foot behind him, which was no doubt being carried by her. A brown rope was looped around her chest, from one shoulder to the other side of his body. Her red dress were filthy, as were his gloves, and stained gauze was wrapped around his left arm, right above his hand.

"Wh... what happened to you?" Baby's shoulders slumped, and she rubbed the back of his head. "Baby...?"

"Freddy... got a good hit in when he threw me. Trust me, kid, you don't wanna see my eye right now." Her hand returned to the front, and she cupped said eye. "I... just need a pen, that's all, and I'll be fine." Her other eye glanced to me, with an outstretched arm. Slowly, I retracted it, and sighed. She wasn't going to let me see it... but I would help her fix it.

"I'll help repaired your eye, Baby. But not in this place. Not after that... fall..." wait a minute. "You... saved me, didn't you? When I fell." She... grabbed my arm. I was so close to drowning, t-to death, that I didn't even notice her beside me when I was brought back to the surface. It wasn't the ink that spit me out. She went in after me.

"Who else would go diving into the studio's cursed ink? Unlike your new pals, I ain't able to be affected with the ink. One of a kind, right here." She's really been going out of his way for me lately, hasn't he? This wasn't the first time he'd helped me, and it probably won't be the last. I pulled myself to my feet, giving a small cough as the feeling of said black liquid still stung my throat. "You okay?"

"I'm... fine." I glanced upwards, hoping to see Autumn and Jules . Unfortunately, their faces were mere dots far above our heads. Can they even see me right now? "I'm okay, guys! I'll go on ahead!"

"Be careful!" Autumn's shout echoed down the drop, and I turned back to the demon. Baby had gone over to the plunger, and picked it up. I watched in confusion as she slipped it away into her subspace, before continuing along the pathway I found myself at.

"You comin' or what?" I looked back up, before jogging to join her as he took the lead. "It was a little bit by luck I found ya, you know. Figured using a rope to get to the lower floors would be a bit easier, since I took out most of my strength in helpin' you out." We entered what appeared to be a waiting room, with wooden benches and a reception desk on our left. Music flowed through the speakers overhead, and I immediately placed the soft tune to what Autumn was singing earlier.

"We're... in the office area, aren't we?" The charts detailing appointments, and how everything was so much more tidy than everywhere else in the studio... it was different, but I knew I was right. "I... you must've seen Autumn and Jules take me away, while you were injured. I'm not sure how long I've been down in this new level for." I refused to admit I was held captive. If Baby ever did meet my new friends, I didn't want her going off on how I was already weak enough from being in the studio for so long. At least the strange visions stopped. "What do we need to do?"

"Pipes," came the reply. Baby led the way to a door by a gated entrance labelled as the administration department. Swinging it open, I saw exactly what he meant. Pipes; pieces missing from a collection of them fitted into the wall. "The door further down in this room won't open until ya drain it. We're gonna need pipes to do that." She grabbed a switch on the wall, standing on her toes to reach it, and brought it down. "That ought to do the trick."

"I'd ask you if you could do the ink thing with your arm with the machine outside, but you're in no state for it," I added. Baby seemed to be okay, but I didn't want to pressure her into helping me, not after all she'd done. We headed back to the main area, but I took pause at a desk off to the left, around a small corner. "Hmm..."

"Kid?" I stepped under the brighter, yet still dim lighting, and found a recording perched on a wooden chair. Wonder what's on this one. "You should check that later. We got pipes we need to deal with, remember?" Baby sounded... unsure? Is she scared? It sounded like she...she was. Something about the tape in front of me was putting her on edge, as I looked back to see her staring at the object with an emotion that I couldn't quite place.

"I understand, Baby, but I need to hear this. We are so close to the end now, I can feel it. Perhaps now I'll finally get the clues as to what's been happening in this studio; why people were being changed, why... why my dad was asked to come back here." And with that... I pressed play. " **Progress report to Gent Home Office. Client: Afton .**

 **Although we're making progress, the client's expectations keep changing. What started as a machine to simply** **mold life-size figures, now seems be teetering on the edge of magic more than engineering.**

 **Although, Michael Afton remains convinced they are the same thing.**

 **The process of running the cartoon film and Animationic's blueprints through the machine for the figures to imprint upon is going well. We've had several near successes.** " Blood slowly drained from my face as the man's words stuck inside my head, yanking at the clues and ideas already planted there. The machine... the ink machine dad talked about... wasn't just for ink itself.

" **One weird note, the first figure ever created was a f** **a** **iled attempt in the likeness of the character called Circus Baby. Since that time, no other attempts of this particular figure have emerged.** **And the one that did, I dunno, there's just something... unworldly about her.** "

I... blanked. I didn't know how to respond to... to any of that. The ink machine... created life-sized figures-no. N-no, not figures. The machine created everyone. I-it created Circus Baby , and was what happened to Marie, and Autumn, and Freddy, and Jules . All of them were affected by the machine. W-was Freddya figurine? Was he a real person like the others? And... "oh no." I stumbled backwards, and felt my back run into the wall. "That... first success was... was...!"

"That reject runnin' around the studio." Baby's voice was low, almost like a hiss. "She was the first, and the last." Her eyes snapped up to me from the recording, and I jumped a little as I was reminded of how close we were. "C'mon. I know where to get the ink."

Before I could get another word in, he trudged past me towards another opening outside of the small room; the one that was previously sealed shut. "B-Baby?" I hurried after, still thrown off by the sudden change in behavior. What was that? Why did she get so angry over the tape? It was about Ink Baby, right? Baby made it clear just then he was the only one made, and so did the person on the recorder. Then... then who the heck is walking with me? Did Baby get created later on, or by some other method? "Or... no." No. N-no, do not think that way, Marylin.

Baby was... no. SH-she wasn't Ink Baby. H-he couldn't b-"this way." I could hear the gargled voices of what I knew was the Butcher Gang in the maze of halls ahead, and found Baby dragging me off to the left. She quickly shoved me into a small room, and closed the door quietly. On the outside, through a partially opened window, we watched as one of the trio wandered by. "Noise shouldn't attract 'em too much as long as it's not too loud. If we're quick about this, we can do this in one trip and gather enough ink."

"Yeah... okay." I felt my elbow connect to a small table beside me, and glancing down, saw another recorder on top of it next to a lit candle. Baby... is not Ink Baby. She... She said that if she wanted me d... dead, he would've done so long ago. He had been following me almost the very beginning, and not once had he shown any threat to my safety. SH-she wasn't the Ink Demon. He's not.

" **A small memo to all administration offices!**

 **Rumors have begun to fly that we simply can't tolerate any longer. The idea that the company is in some form of financial difficulty is untrue and a slanderous lie against us.**

 **It's also been known to me that some backroom incompetents are not trusting in my leadership. As a leader, I'm always steering the boat, guiding our destiny. Looking at the big picture. No need for you people to worry about such complicated things. Just do whatever it is you do and trust your leader... which is me.** "

"... the more I listen to these tapes, the more I see that my dad was right in leaving the company. The man is clearly insane." Baby didn't respond to me, or the tape this time. She creaked the door open again, and when I saw her making her move, was quick to follow after her. "Baby, wait up."

"If ya want to follow, then pick up the pace." Her words were harsh. More bitter than usual. She slipped around a corner, and as I went to follow, found myself at a dead end. Two doors were on either side, and another recording sat on a table.

"Dang it, Baby." I paused, listening for the little monsters roaming the area. Seeing that nothing appeared to be coming my way, I moved closer to the table. Things... weren't adding up, and yet... they were. Why was it that... every time Ink Baby appeared, Baby wasn't anywhere to be found? And the same went the opposite way. Neither were ever seen together. Baby...she said that he wasn't like the Ink Demon, b-but went on to say that there was only one Baby figurine made. Then how on earth did he come into creation? And the same sound-that scream. Ink Baby never screamed, no, but her voice matched what I heard in the fight against my fallen friend. The sharp claws ripping from her hands, slashing at Freddy's back in a fit of rage... "I... I need to know." Sorry, pal. Even... even if it was for my safety, I... I need to know what's going on. I need to know who you are.

" **Listen Julien. I know you boys over at Gent are doing your best, but I'm paying for living attractions, not weird abominations! Whatever that grinning thing was I saw wandering around your office, you better keep it locked up tight!**

 **I realize it was a first attempt but imagine if the press caught sight of it! Might scare off investors! And in response to your previous memo... if you claim your failures are because these things are soulless, then dang it, we'll get them a soul!**

 **After all, I own thousands of 'em!** "

Souls... that was it.

Marie, William, Autumn, and... the Gent worker... he was Jules the Wolf. Everyone in the studio was... scarified to the machine, all to get 'perfect' figures of his cartoons. And... dad was...! "I... I'm going to be sick." I slapped a hand over my mouth, struggling not to throw up then and there. Those coffins I had seen way at the beginning... they were the workers. They were people dad had worked with, h-had befriended! Michael k-killed all of them, just for his own twisted financial gain!

Another gurgle came from the corner I last came from, and I hurried on my way through the maze once again. Finally, it appeared that I was at the far end, as the only thing left ahead of me was...Michael Drew's office. "Th-there's the... ink." The well was right on the left, ready for grabbing. B-but I couldn't. Not yet. I had to see if there was more. Th-there must've been more.

Wrapping a hand around the knob, I slipped into the office, closing the door behind me. The same turning wheels that greeted me at the very beginning, displaying the studio's name hung right above the empty desk. Dusty plaques hung on the chipped wallpaper, and a single recording sat in front of me. A lamp, still turned on, bathed it in an orange glow; the only light in the room.

I moved to the other side of the desk, and hesitated in pressing play. I... need to know, Baby. " **I know how much this part means to you, Marie. The character of Marie Drew means a lot to me too. All my characters do! In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret.**

 **I too really believe my characters are more than just drawings. They're alive. They're part of us. And I want people to know them as well as I do. I want people to be able to shake their hand, spend an afternoon with 'em. Love them.**

 **Susie, I'll be straight with you.**

 **I'm putting together a small project... a little ceremony. If it works, a lot of dreams will come true. And I want you to be a part of it... I want you to bring Marie to life once again. What do ya say?** " I cupped both hands over my mouth, feeling the clammy skin press against my flushed face. I backed away from the table, running into the wall itself and disturbing one of the nearby frames. Rip out their souls... put them into the machine... and created the people and monsters I saw around me. Then... what does that make the Ink Demon and Ba-?

"I say..." the movement of my head was fast enough to possibly snap my neck, as I stared in terrified horror at the demon in the open doorway. There Baby stood, a hand gripping her plunger... and looking ready to tear me apart. "... ya shouldn't have listened to those tapes, Marylin."


	33. Braying the Demon

Circus Baby the Clown ... was ticked. Completely, and utterly, ticked. And I was backed against a wall, with her blocking my only way to get out. So... yeah, this wasn't going to end well for me.

"... wh-who... who are you, Baby?" My voice was nervous, barely loud enough for myself to hear. "Souls, and... the murdering of the workers... wh-who are you!?"

The clown stalked forward, letting the end part of her weapon drag along the floor. Her brow was narrowed and dripping ink, almost covering her eyes, and the permanent grin her face was usually set in was every bit nerve-wracking.

The thud, thud, thud echoed in the room, the tension thick as the ink within the studio.

"You really shouldn't have listen to the tapes. I warned ya, kid. Listenin' to stuff that you got no business knowin'." She twirled the wooden stick until the heavy end landed into her alternate hand, creating a heavy thunk as it met the palm of her hand.

The sound struck a cord in my heart, and my breathing hitched. "N-no business? No business!? You idiot, it became my business the moment I entered this nightmare!"

"I've been threatened, knocked out, and almost killed countless times! This entire studio has been my dungeon for I don't even know how long now because I have no way of keeping track of days anymore, my family thinks I'm dead, and I have a vicious bloodthirsty demon after me!" Baby began to trek around one side of the table, the thumping of her off-white hand continuing in a steady beat as I shuffled the opposite way along the wall from her. That grin... it was not fading. Was it good? Was it bad!? I didn't know!

"You never once gave me an answer as to who you are! For all I know, with all of the facts, y-you are her! You're the Ink Demon!"

Before she could respond, I sprinted for the door, and slammed it shut behind me in a bang. I heard the startled cry of the animatronic, grabbing a wooden board propped up against a box and putting it under the knob to prevent it from being opened. I hurried to the ink well, dunking my arms into it and grabbing several thick globs that stuck together.

The excess dripped from my already stained skin, back into the basin beneath as the pounding of fists sounded from the other side of the only thing keeping Baby away from me. Quickly backtracking through the maze as fast as my legs would carry me, the gargled cries of the Butcher Gang began to increase.

The single box in the room, the same I had used countless other times in hiding, was my only hope. Shuffling the ink into one arm, I threw the door open and slammed it shut behind me.

Dropping the ink blobs to the floor, I inched as far down as I could to the seat, hiding from view of the tiny window. Hands went over my mouth, and as I trembled, suddenly realized how... familiar, this scenario was.

"Kid! Kid, where are ya?" The small clown's voice floated outside of my tiny sanctuary, and my fingers instinctively curled into my face, nails piercing my skin.

"Marylin, c'mon! Where are ya?" Small and quick footsteps danced around the floor, and the shrieks of the Butcher Gang flooded my ears with the sound of something striking them viciously. One by one, they disappeared, growing faint until all I could hear was rapid panting.

Oh, I hoped it was the plunger. "Where... are you...?"

A terrified squeak caught in my throat, breathing a little more shallow now. "Marylin!" The shout was directed at me, and I knew Baby knew where I was. We had played this game before, and she could see it. But instead, this time around, it was her I was hiding from. It was her I was scared of.

"Marylin, you... you...! Urgh... fine." The sigh was deep, and filled with an emotion I couldn't piece together.

"Fine. If ya don't wanna know the truth, and wanna put your ideals and trust on the tapes, then fine by me... but here this, kiddo. Don't be blamin' me when your throat gets torn out by her claws... you won't be so lucky next time."

The pounding of angry footsteps followed, and then... there was silence. No more speaking, and no more movement. It was absolute silent... and it scared me even more. Hands still on my mouth, I nudged the door open a crack with my shoe.

A gust of air left me, from holding it in for so long, and bent down to grab the ink I spilled. Even so, my shoulders were tense, and I was still on edge in case he or someone else returned.

The machine wasn't that far from my hiding spot, thankfully, and it only took several turns to create all the right parts, but... oh, I could not stop thinking about it.

I... d-did I betray Baby? I just-he was lying to me. All this time, he never told me the truth of the happenings within the studio. Everything, I was forced to figure it out myself. I-if I knew, then maybe I-I could've done something more for Freddy, o-or Norman. But-but now...

"now I'm... lost."

I snapped the final part into place, hearing the sudden draining of ink from the hallway to the left.

Even with all of the facts on my side... was I really right in pushing her away? After all that she had done, despite the possibility of her tr... trying to kill me, and everyone else? "Let's... just get going."

I opened the door, and ignored the inky sensation of black seeping into my shoes. Passing through the other door, I found a wooden room, and a massive vault door hanging off of its hinge to the side.

"What... could have done that?" The inside of the vault was scarcely lit, and filled with boxes. The single light source hovered over a single box, and from the ink stain covering it... that was what I was aiming for.

"Nothing in there though, so.. what about the one here?" Kneeling down, I pulled open the flaps of the box on the right of the stained one. Two roles of film sat inside, including another glob of ink. "Something... is missing."

"Looks like whatever was here was taken long ago..." I glanced over my shoulder, finding Jules and Autumn had quietly entered the room. Getting to my feet, she moved past me to examine my findings.

"How did you get down here? Did you find another way?" An almost teasing look greeted me, and she gestured with a hand to her belt that held her machete.

"It pays to carry a rope... you should try it." I raised a brow at the slight jab, and rolled my eyes.

"Ah. Yes, well, excuse me for focusing on not dying first." Running a hand through the loose strands of black hair that came out of my braid, I turned to the only other pathway we hadn't taken yet.

"I... think I know where we need to go... but it's not going to be a good time. The Ink Demon... is no doubt behind most of what's happening. Not all of it, no. No, Michael Afton is the true monster behind this entire operation. But... but Ink Baby has something that we need, seeing how she must've been here... and I'm going to get it back."

"You want to go to her lair?" Autumn asked incredulously. "Are you crazy?" Jules' face mirrored her words exactly, brow furrowed in confusion at my suddenly self-destructive idea.

"That's death!"

"Yet the path for everyone's freedom goes to her." I moved to the door, and gripped the two metal sliding doors. I tried to pull them apart, but nothing happened.

"Look, I want this to end. If... if you don't want to come with, then that's fine. B-but I'm tired of the lies, and the secrets. I need the truth behind this, and if I'm going to die in here... I'd rather die knowing why."

She didn't answer right away, and I was ready for the denial to come, but then...

"well, it's probably close by... you're insane, you know that, right?" I nodded, and she moved to the door beside me. Insanity was what kept me progressing, after all. Without it, who knows where I'd have ended up.

"This won't be easy to open. I'll need three gears, a crowbar... hmm, some kind of counterbalance-"

The door burst apart in a bang, creating just enough of a gap for us to slide through. We turned to Jules, who was shaking out his metallic hand with a smug look.

"Huh... that was... hehe. Not bad, Jules." I grinned at the wolf, before shuffling through the entrance. The hallway split off a room-why did it look so much like the first floor? The projector, and cutouts, and... drawing table.

"It's like we're back to the beginning," I whispered under my breath.

"This way." Autumn took the lead from me, and we progressed down the corridor on the left. A foggy glass window kept us separated from another hallway, and just as we began to turn again to the left, her blackened arm stretched out in front of me. "Quiet. Don't make any noise..."

The Ink Demon. Tendrils of the black liquid seeped around the walls and ceiling around us, and Jules took out his ax just in case. Her skeletal body limped past us on the other side, heading in the same direction we were.

The heavy breathing, th-the same ink-filled sounds I heard whenever she was around crept through the cracks. Once she was further down the hall, we hurried down our section.

As we did though, I spared a final look at the grotesque monster. She had paused, just before leaving my line of sight, and twisted her head to look out the glass.

Right. At. Me.

D-did she see me, and the others? I didn't know, but Autumn and Jules both froze at the action. We all stood there, in place, waiting for someone to move. Her head tilted to the side, grin stretching, before Ink Baby began to continue along her path.

The corner turned to the left once again, and an arrow pointing to the right with the word "death" greeted us. Every single part of me screamed, bellowed, to turn back.

T-to get out of there as fast as I could, because what Autumn had said earlier was right. I was entering her lair, and she knew it. She was waiting for me.

"... almost there." The wooden floor changed bit by bit into dirt once again, and opened up into a massive cavern. My footsteps had slowed dramatically, and so had my friends as we finally came out of the tight enclosed space.

Two lights, mounted on high poles stood on either side of the ground, and in front of us... "the ink machine." The creation that had started this entire mess, that I had seen multiple times descending deeper, and deeper, into the studio was now finally taking its position atop a massive system. The giant nozzle, and all of the pipes coming in and out of it and the walls around it that had been carved to fit in the pipework...

"it's a giant ink machine. This entire thing is supplying the ink to the entire studio."

"Wow! I've never seen this before!" Autumn moved past me, and up to the edge of the dirt where it met the ink. Underneath the nozzle was a door with a few steps leading inside, open for whoever dared enter it. Ink poured down from the monstrosity, filling in the lake.

"I don't see any way around... nothing to build a raft with."

"We'll just walk through it then," I replied as Jules and I moved over to her.

The toon woman had a pained expression on her face as she turned to me, and shook her head.

"We can't... we're not like you, Marylin. If we go in there, well... a drop of water in the ocean is rarely seen again." They were beings made of ink. If they went into ink again, and especially this type... they would never come back.

"Then it's... just me again, isn't it? Heh... still have no clue why I'm here in the first place." I shook my head, eyes downcast and felt the-was I close to tears?

Was it because of how frustrated I was at this point, or was it that I might never see them again?

"Why did Michael do this? Why did he do this to everyone? You, and Jules, and... everyone else... you were innocent. A-and yet he... he did this, for his own sick financial gain!"

Delicate fingers cupped my chin, and she lifted my head up to let my brown eyes meet her black ones. They were not cartoon eyes, like Jules', but human, just like my own.

"You're here for a reason, Marylin. There's always a reason! Even when you can't understand it. We may have lost our past, but with you... you can give us a future. It's time..." she released her fragile hold. "... set us free!"

"I'll... I'll try." Jules tapped my shoulder, and as I turned around, found a pipe trusted into my arms. "Oh. I was wondering if anything didn't fall into the pit with me."

"Thanks... Julien." The snout of the bear curved slightly upwards at the name, and I turned to the machine.

This was... it. The moment I entered there, the moment I passed through that door... there was no going back. When I had first entered the studio, I had no clue what I was doing...still not sure what I was doing, but things were getting clearer, and clearer the further I descended. Hard truths that no doubt my dad never knew, gained friends... and lost friends.

I reached into my vest pocket, and ever so slowly, pulled out the Freddy plush I had taken on my journey with me. After all of that, it was still there.

I pressed my lips to the top of the toy's head, and returned it to its resting place. I would make him proud. Freddy, and every other unfortunate soul trapped in this nightmare of Michael Afton. "Let's end this, once and for all."


	34. Beast Baby

The hallway was suffocating. Tall and narrow, with very little lighting. Then again, the entire studio wasn't exactly the most bright place. Passing along, I took pause at the glass cases around me. Lost souls, inky remains, with torrents of the disgusting fluid being forced down upon them.

They're... are they drowning? I couldn't tell. Did ink beings like them die if they had no lungs, or mouths? Yet, William certainly appeared to have those things. I could... feel his breath on my face.

Grimacing, I pulled my weapon to my chest as I approached the lever. Whatever was on the other side of this metal door... it was not going to be pretty. I just... I hoped that my reaction from earlier, about the Ink Demon being the snappish yet friendly Circus Baby was wrong.

"Please... let it be wrong." With that, I grabbed the handle, and pulled.

The doors split apart, leaving me to pass through a wider hallway into a circular room.

"What is all... this?" Whoa. I recognize these shorts. In the dead center of the room was a chair-no. A throne. Three metal gears were stuck into a thick mess of ink, raising the seat high off the ground. A machine was set up on the left, no doubt to play all of the cartoons that were animated overhead. The Butcher Gang, Alice, The Angel Sisters, Freddy, and Circus Baby. Everyone in their lovable animated forms, acting out repeated clips from some of my favorite cartoons as a child. It was... nostalgic, and confusing, and terrifying, all at once.

Several projectors were stuck in the mass of ink around floor level, pointed up at the display screens.

"Incredible..." I spun around to get a full view of it all, before my eyes landed back on the throne. Propped up against it, by one of the front legs, was a single recorder. This is... the last one, isn't it? I would have to press play. For my answers, there was no other choice in the matter.

One foot at a time, I made my way up the steps. They tilted a little at my weight, but held firm. At the top, I spared a confused glance at a film reel laying against an arm rest in the throne before freezing at what now was clear to me. Two large handles stuck out from the top of the back of the seat, and looped together to make several dangling chains... were halos.

There were... other Angels besides the ones I knew. The sudden coldness in my blood wanted me to dart out of there, and get my friends on the other side of the machine as far away from there as possible, but... I pressed play.

Baby refused to answer me, and i-if... I wanted to see if it really was her, who was following and... trying to kill me, then I had no choice.

 **"It's simply awe-inspiring what one can accomplish with their own hands. A lump of clay can turn to meaning... if you strangle it with enough enthusiasm. Look what we've built! We've created life itself, Mike!"** I inhaled sharply through my teeth, hearing the man call out my dad's name. Created? No. No, he didn't create anything. He destroyed life, and my dad would have never wanted a part in this.

 **"Not just on the silver screen, but in the hearts of those we entertain with our fancy moving pictures. But... when the tickets stopped selling... when the next big thing came along... only the monsters remained... shadows of the past. But you can save them, Mike!"** All at once, the depressing tone of the man peeled away, leaving an eerily cheerful demeanor.

 **"You can peel it all away! You see, there's only one thing Baby has never known...she was there for her beginning..." I tucked my pipe under my arm, and automatically, my hands went to grab the reel. "... but she's never seen..."**

"... the end." My quiet whisper echoed Michael's words, as I turned the reel over. The label matched what he was hinting at, displaying the two words. Play the reel? That was... it? That seemed too simple. In my entire time in this studio, nothing was ever this simple.

As the recorder clicked off, an odd whistling sound broke through the air, and I looked up.

"Aah!" I jumped back, stumbling down the steps onto the floor. Ink Baby stood behind the throne, hands grabbing the back of it and staring down.

 ** _"HeLlo, ScHmIdT."_** My scared face faltered at the use of my last name, and I managed to semi-calmly shake my head with my next words.

"... you know that I'm not him. You're clearly smart enough to know that." Her dark and ink-filled throat chuckled, leering down at my much smaller form.

 _ **"YeS. I Am QuiTe aWarE of whO youR faTher is. It is A Shame. I WaS Hoping for him to make his grand appearance."**_ Her gargled words came out clearer as she went on, becoming the slightest bit more understandable. To be honest, I preferred him when I couldn't make out half of what he was saying. ** _"But... you will have to do."_**

"Wh-why? Why this? Why all of this?" Ink Baby drummed her fingers along the throne's leathery surface, watching my confused panic.

 ** _"Why? Isn't it obvious?"_** She pulled back from the chair, and began walking around it towards me. Her footsteps squelched in the ink, and I began pulling backwards.

 ** _"They were scared of me. I wasn't 'perfect' in their eyes, and deemed a waste. A malformed copy. And they shut me away, all 'cause they didn't want to ruin their precious image. The real kicker, doll, is that unlike myself, I got no soul. All of the others after me do, but me? I'm an empty shell."_**

My back hit the wall, just by the edge of the hall where I could see the door was now closed shut. Was it her doing, or a timer? It didn't matter. I was trapped. Cornered by the Ink Demon. All retorts were caught in my throat, and I forced myself to throw out a response.

"B-but just because you don't h-have a soul, doesn't m-mean anything! What d-did that dictate!?"

 _ **"It means, that everything I learned, was due to their treatment of me. Haven't you ever been insulted? Yelled at, and told that what you were or how you behaved as an irregularity!?"** _ Ink Baby didn't know it, but those words struck home.

She seemed to get it though, and chuckled. _ **"I thought so. They locked me away, but he still feared me. Despite all of his experiments, I was the one thing he was unable to control."**_

"Th-then... you were the only Baby created, ri-right? So... who was accompanying me, a-and following me around the studio the whole time? That... was that you?" Her head leaned back as she gave a loud laugh, and suddenly I really wished I kept that horrible fear to myself.

 _ **"That pathetic waste of ink and metal? No, that isn't me. But I suppose... she was, decades ago."**_ She wandered back towards the center of the room, and looked up at the cartoons playing around us. Their mute and cheery displays contrasted with the tension in the small room.

 ** _"When I was created, there was only darkness, and the ink. Whatever dripped off of my body would return to me, as I was_** its master. But the ink, as you no doubt am aware... is not normal. There's life in its substance. Corrupted magic. And eventually... those drippings gained consciousness."

"You mean... the little animationic that was... she was a part of you?" It made sense. It all made sense! Why she showed hatred for Michael, why she despised Ink Baby and hated how I compared the two together. She always hid whenever the Ink Demon was around...

"She was scared." I straightened up, holding the reel under my arm now and switching it out with my pipe. I pointed it at her, arm shaking at the realization. "She was scared... that you would kill her."

 _ **"Hehehe... smart girl. Yes, I wanted her dead. What good is another me around, who could barely stand on her own two feet at the beginning? Unfortunately, by the time she was fully built, Michael had finally left the building, only to return every few years to check in. How cruel, isn't it? To have the perfect being that everyone wanted you to be, be born of the cartoon remains I emerged from? But... now we arrive at the real matter, kid."** _ Her head snapped around to face me, and the blackened grin stretched.

"The heart of my problem... or should I say... soul?"

Her gaze, while I could not make out her eyes, flickered to the film reel. "I-I'm not gonna give this to you. Even though the concept of death by underwhelming object confuses me, I won't let you get it." The chuckle this time actually seemed more amused, no doubt from my word choice.

 _ **"Still jokin' to the bitter end, I see? No matter. I'll tell you, Mary... not havin' a soul like all the others... it just ain't right. But perhaps... I'll get one after all..."** _ the ungloved hand of the demon reached forward, and grabbed my face with her index finger and thumb, forcing my head to look up at her.

Her skin was cold, slimy; a drastic difference from the smaller demon.

 _ **"I know you, Marylin. I've seen you behave around the studio. You, unlike the rest of the creators, loved this place. Your smiling face, joking about when you knew for certain we were trying to kill you... all I need is a soul to merge with me, and I'll finally be the cartoon people want me to be!"**_ I squirmed in the grip, and was brought up onto my toes.

 _ **"There was only one living soul left in this company, and since you came in his place...you're mine, now."**_

She stepped back a final time as she shoved me against the wall, and her hands, one at a time, began to grow. The glove split apart in shreds of fabric, as her arms extended to inhuman size and one of them becoming a claw. My back was already to the wall. No where to run, and forced to watch the Ink Demon live up to her name.

Her horns increased several inches, and the claws I felt earlier were leaving gouges in the floor beneath her. Legs shriveled up as most of the ink her body was made of moved to his upper body, and the malicious grin was... gone. In its place... were fangs. Massive, sharp teeth, with the mouth going from horn to horn. Breathing was deep, and her head loomed high above me.

There was an ear-splitting roar, the smell of decay on my face, and I was sent soaring through the room and right through the wall itself into a corridor on the other side.

The growls of the demon still filled my head, and I stumbled to my feet. "What... the hell?" I raised a hand to my head, feeling blood trickle down from a cut. The reel was still in one piece, which right now, was obviously the main thing.

"I-I got to plug this in." The hole was too high up, leaving me no choice up to navigate the maze. A maze with that monster now actively hunting me down.

Lost Ones were trapped once again in the display cases, watching as Beast Baby stormed down hallway after hallway around me, hands used in place of her weak legs. It didn't slow her down, oh no. Not in the slightest.

She was fast. Faster than she ever was before. Once she got to the wall she was aimed at, she vanished in one of her portals, only to reappear against somewhere else.

"Switches, switches, got to pull them now!" Awkwardly tucking the pipe under my arm, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the seeing device. To my immense relief, arrows were drawn on the floor. "Yes!"

My feet were quick to push myself against the wall whenever he came running in, and while I struggled to juggle all three items, the light was making finding the switches much easier. At the last one, a door in my peripheral vision opened up, and I booked it just as Beast Baby burst from the wall to my left.

With a roar, her gnashing teeth brushed against the back of my vest as I entered the area just in time. Throwing the device back into a pocket, I brought the pipe back into my hand. Did I have a chance in actually fighting Ink Baby? In her previous form, possibly. As that? I was silly, not stupid!

The small corridor opened up to another new door, just wide enough for me to slip in. Two Circus Baby's cartoons played in the back of the room, as the same message I found in Freddy's sacrificial room were written in between the shorts. Four glass tubes stood in the corners of the room, empty. A single wheel was by the question, which meant that it had be cranked.

"She's going to enter the moment I do so... here we go." Turning it was easy enough, and instantly, the glass tubes were filled with ink, flowing upwards into the studio.

As I predicted, the Ink Demon crept from the wall across from me, head searching around before finally finding her target. Wait. How am I supposed to get away now!?

Beast Baby rushed me, and I dove behind the nearest tube. Balancing on one arm, she swung out to grab me, and smashed the glass to shards. Screaming, I sprinted across the room to the nearest one, feeling the material rain down on me and leave small but painful cuts along my arms and face with the ink spraying into the air and over me.

The liquid burned at my wounds, and I bit down on my lip as my shrieks slowed down. My breathing was evident of my small injuries and the absolute terror I was feeling, and I manage to have the malevolent cartoon follow after me. The sound of smashing glass met me way too soon, and I heard her cry out as her own hands were cut up from the impact.

I ran for the third, diving behind it and pressing my back against it. The Ink Demon gave a frustrated roar, and slammed a fist into the frame. It shattered, just like the others, but as I went to run to the fourth and final one, her fist lashed out.

I had been in pain. A lot, since I had entered this robotic factory . The terrible and confusing visions, falling from heights, the scare of passing out and waking up in a summoning circle, having to battle my friend for survival... none of that could compare to the moment three claws ripped into my neck, and splayed the area red.

I couldn't tell if I was screaming, because almost everything was muted in that moment. The blood rush, and adrenaline; I-I couldn't think straight. I collapsed onto the floor in a heap, pipe and reel sliding out of my arms and cupping both of my hands around the tears in my flesh. Tears rose in the corners of my eyes, whimpering. "Emm... mmm...!"

"You best be sayin' goodbye, Marylin Schmidt! 'cause that soul is mine!" My body curled up, bleeding out as the beast loomed over me... there wasn't much else I could. I was doomed to either be ripped to bloody pieces by the monster, or bleed out there as he watched in sadistic glee.

The sound broke from the melody of ink pouring across the floor as she roared, ready to land the final blow. I'm... sorry, Autumn. I wasn't able to fulfill your wish. The blackened hand was right above me, ready to snap my head off, until a roar broke through my thoughts. Why... is she... huh?

Thoughts jumbled in my dizzying state, I blearily brought my head up. The Ink Demon was thrashing her head around, swiping at something clinging to her face and tearing its claws into her.

The creature jumped off of Beast Baby, landing right in front of me with arms outstretched just as I had seen the him do before giving chase. The newcomer was tall and lanky, dripping ink to the point it looked like its head was barely attached to its body, and growling right back in a clear warning to try and come any closer.

"I... Ink..." I started to say the name, but then saw the creature wasn't as skeletal as who I thought he was. There were no clear signs of ribs or spinal cord. Four fingers... and a more finished appearance. There's... there's only one...

her

"B-Baby...?" One hand over my neck, the other pushed me up off the floor to see his face. Shoulders trembled in rage, breathing just as harsh as the beast in front of her. But at the sound of the name, her head turned just enough for me to catch a widened grin at the sound of the name. "You... came for me."

She nodded, before facing down the Ink Demon.

"Run." Scrambling around the floor to grab the pipe and reel, I hurried to the only over possible exit. Baby and Beast Baby clawed at each other, howling shrieks of unbridled rage and fierce protectiveness, and smashed into the final tube.

The door began to creak open, and I wasted no time in hurrying through the tiny gap before the beast could get wise.

The door led right back to the entryway of the throne room, with the previous exit still blocked off. I scrambled towards the machine, taking the reel out from under my arm and letting the crimson liquid flow freely.

My head was buzzing, and I felt weak, but all attention was on this. Up the three steps, and glancing from the item to the machine, I gave one final hopeful prayer before pushing it in.

It began to spin, loading the contents. A roar from behind me sent me twirling around to find Beast Baby stalking out of the door, and began to quicken her pace towards me. Baby must've done a number, as her movements were not as fast as earlier.

Darkened gouges were evident on her arms, and ink squirted from a missing bottom fang. She almost reached out for me, only for a sudden bright light to appear out of the corner of our eyes.

"The end."

The reel... the end credits. Beast Baby hesitated in her attack, turning around to stare at the words before returning to me. Another click, and the slide on the right of me showed the same card. Bright light shone from the cartoony lettering, and she flinched back with a hiss.

The next moment, all of the cartoons showing all of the happy characters vanished in a loud click. "The end" was shown all around the room, and everything went the same distorted flashes of color from days ago. I would be panicking, had it not been for the demon on her deformed knees screeching in pain as spots of light boiled along her body. Head lowered, she had to will herself to look up at me.

 _ **"You... YoU!"**_ With what strength the reel hadn't taken a way, Beast Baby lunged at me in one last desperate attempt.

One arm was reached out, wanting to grab at me. Pieces of her horns fell away, and legs were completely rendered immobile. The sight was horrific, and tragic.

 _ **"ThIs iS mY WorLD MiNe! You Can'T taKE it awAY frOm mE!"**_

"Just did." I grabbed the pipe with both hands, and as she threw herself at me, mouth wide open in a last-ditch effort, I brought down my weapon on top of her head.

The metal went through the ink, and I heard the metallic clang as the end met the gear step just below my feet. The body vanished in a burst of bright light, and then... silence.

The small noise of the projectors continued to play in the background, but that was it. It was all over... and... I-I won. I killed the Ink Demon.

"Heh... hehe... I did it, Freddy... I-I did it." Footsteps met my ears, and the taller and darker version of my friend walked out from the other hall. His head turned in my direction, and I nodded. "B-Baby, I... I..."

I collapsed.

Adrenaline was shot, and I stumbled forward and began to roll off the ink mound. Skinny arms were quick to grab me, showing Baby had run over to catch me. She sat on the top step, shaking me.

"Kid? Kid, you gotta stay awake now, okay? You can't fall asleep."

"B... Baby... y-you... came b-back for... me." A gloved finger was pressed against my mouth, preventing me from saying anything more.

"I gotta look after my kid, don't I?" Her grin was strained, more than it ever was before.

"C'mon, you're... you're gonna be alright." The same hand moved to my neck, and I knew he was checking for a pulse. Her grin dropped, looking from where two fingers were pressed back to my paling face.

"... it's alright, Baby. I... did what I wanted... to do, right? I s-saved everyo-one." My vision had all but blurred out at this point, and I knew I was hardly hanging on. "Heh... hehe..."

"Marylin?" Baby's head lifted upwards, as we heard the banging on the other side of the door.

"Are you in there? Please, let us in!" The demon maintained his hold on me, but didn't budge. "Marylin!"

"L-let them... in... they need to see me, Baby." She sighed, before sliding her arms around me and picking me up. If it were her smaller size, I imagined all she could do was drag me. Like this though, she was carrying me like I weighed nothing; a bridal carry, as it was the only way to not strain myself any further.

Approaching the door, she carefully juggled me and placed a hand where the two doors joined together. I could faintly see the ink sliding off his glove, going in between the cracks and began to open the doors.

"Mary-you!" The desperation in calling my name switched to anger and fear as Autumn's eyes locked onto Baby, and pulled out her machete. Right behind her, Jules brought out his ax, looking from his 'enemy' to my bloodied and inky figure. "What have you done to her?"

"I didn't do nothin'... and you got the wrong toon, Autumn." She glanced from Baby to me, and I managed a nod to confirm her suspicions.

"B-Baby... protected... me. The d-demon... killed." Autumn sheathed her weapon, and rushed through the door. She still was wary of being that close to the demon, but at the moment, most of her attention was on the three massive tears in my skin.

"I don't-Jules, do we have anything that could stitch it back up?" The wolf's expression was pained, and he shook his head. The admission seemed to strike a cord in her, and she turned back to me. "Marylin, you're... going to be fine."

"... you... don't need to... lie, Allison." I smiled up at her, and gave a giggle. Was it being on death's door that was making me act a little loopy? The blood affecting my thinking? Maybe.

"I... there's no... need f-for lying a-anymore." I leaned into the hold the demon had on me, my head resting against his chest. "Ju... just for a... few... minutes..."

"Marylin!" My vision was all but gone now, and I heard her shout beside me. "She's not going to survive if we don't do something in the next few minutes. Do you have any ideas?"

"I don't..." Baby was silent, and I felt her grip on me tighten. "... you're gonna be fine, okay? Don't worry, Marylin. You're gonna be just fine in a few minutes. I'll be right back." A chill swept over me, and I heard the fast pace of feet underneath me. Autumn called out behind him, but he didn't stop.

Lights were dimmed, and the sound of rushing ink into the chambers were the Lost Ones were had stopped. Why were we leaving the room? Where were we going? "Keep still."

I gave a harsh cough, feeling the blood flow faster from the pressure. Keep still? Why did I need to keep still? What was he doing? "B... Baby, what are you...?" She was climbing, holding me as she scaled the outside of the gigantic ink machine.

The contraption itself had stopped flowing ink at this point, showing the lever of liquid around the base to be much lower. Bits of brown flickered in my vision as I peered directly below. Two wooden boards, which were possibly how Autumn and Jules got over to the other side.

Upon reaching the top, I felt Baby hold me in bridal fashion again. My breathing was sloppy, gasping for any air I could find, which she took notice.

"We're almost there, kid. Just a little while longer." Her voice... it was scaring me. Hopeful, and heartbroken, at the same time. I could barely make out her face, but the part that I could identify, was the grin twisted into an uneasy frown. "Marylin... do ya trust me?"

Did I... trust her? "I-I... I..." Baby, despite not having to, came back for me. Even after I yelled at her, calling her that horrible monster, she came to save me. She saved me... so many times. I just... I...

"I do, Baby . I... I trust you." There was a metal clang, and I was lifted up. Something warm pressed against my forehead, vanishing just as quickly before it appeared... before I was slipped into the inky void once again.

Arms wrapped around me holding me close as it choked me, stinging and biting at my wounds. Whispers in my ear, saying everything would be fine. Did I believe them? Should I believe them? I was dying anyway, and they... sounded welcoming. Comforting. There was no cold this time, but warmth. There was the feeling of it snaking around my neck, tickling at my mouth. My lungs couldn't hold in the faint bit of air any longer.

Eyes couldn't open, yet I could see the spots dancing in them. I... trust you... Baby. My mouth at last opened from the pressure, letting myself become one with the ink and poison my organs... and I finally knew no more.


	35. Reborn

Cold. It was... cold. Lifeless, stretching ever forwards and backwards.

...

Where was I, exactly, hidden away? It was suffocating, ever-changing, and filled with whispers. Voices that were... familiar. Y-yes, they sounded familiar. But where though? Where did I hear them before?

"... o... or...!"

A cry. A shout. That was not a whisper, and it sounded... like it was outside the pitch black. Outside where they were trapped, hidden away. Creaks, and bangs. Furious pounding echoes around the darkness.

"T...! He... et it o...!" The noise grew louder, until... movement. A sudden pulling forward, with the sound of grinding gears dancing around the abyss, filling my ears. It pulled, and pulled... and then... there was light. Warmth, and... hands.

Scraping the darkness away, letting the warmth touch the tainted skin underneath and to allow the desperate breath to enter in. The air was much sweeter than the darkness. More freedom, and less choking. "Did... did it work?"

"That was a dangerous risk you put yourself and her in. We don't even know if your ridiculous plan even worked."

"Well, we're 'bout to find out." Something warm brushed against my face, breaking through the thin shell of cold still clinging to me. My... face. I was... I...? "Kid?" The word was soft, concerned and hopeful. As if the next part, the answer, would mean everything to him. "Kid... answer me, is that you?"

I lifted my head upwards, and slowly, the black drifted away. Spots speckled my vision, but I could see a black and partially white face stare me down. Eyes that were not human stared deep into my own, dripping strands of ink running down off of her small and shaking body. I... I don't...? Sniffles came from the creature, and I felt arms wrap around me. Shudders raked through her, and fingers dug into my limbs.

"C-c'mon, kid, please. Y-you can't forget, okay? You gotta-you're alive, a-and I just-!" She didn't seem to know what to say, stumbling over her words. "Please, M-Marylin, don't forget! You can't forget about me!"

M...Marylin? That's... why is that... familiar? I shifted in the arms, and glanced over at her. Suddenly, without warning, the invisible lock was undone, and they were thrown at me; like a furious and unrelenting waterfall crashed down inside my head, flashes of images and lights scorched me from the inside-out. I sucked in a sharp breath as my body almost gave out, earning a startled shout from the figure. These are my... memories? That one time... after the elevator was...?

"B... Ba...by?" The grip suddenly tightened, and a rush of air left the cartoon as she gave a choked laugh. "O-ouch...!" She leaned back, but not once did she let go. "Wh... what happened? Why is... everything all... fuzzy?"

"Oh, kid! I thought we lost you!" I tilted my head, and looked behind her. A bear and a... human-no. No, she was a toon like Baby. M-Marie... Autumn was her name. A-and the bear was Jules .Not...Freddy.

"You don't remember anything, do you?" Her voice was cautious, worried.

"I... it's returning slowly." The memories were a mess, all jumbled together, and I began to shuffle through them like a playing deck. "I... I think I... did I really stab the Ink Demon through her head?" Baby chuckled at the response, and nodded. She adjusted herself to my left, letting her right arm loop over my shoulders.

"You finished her off for good, toots. Heh... something none of us have been able to do for years." I... Autumn said I was... the hope, right? Did that... prove her idea?

"Something I haven't been able to do." He shook his head, before moving on to another topic. "But how do you feel? Are you alright?"

"I am... I feel... fine?" I felt cold, but that could be because my entire body was covered in ink as well, same as him. Why was I covered in ink though? Did I slip and fall somewhere? And... why does my neck hurt? I lifted my left hand, reaching up to my neck and feel deep tears in the skin, three of them several inches long. From my jaw, down to my collarbone... what the heck happened to me?

My scared and silent expression made Baby's grin drop, and he sighed. "I'm sorry, kid, but she got you bad. Before I was able to step in, he managed to almost tear your neck open. The blood loss was too much, a-and... Mary, why do you think you're covered in ink?"

"Because I..." the idea struck me, and I sucked in air through my teeth. N-no. No, no, no. That was-that couldn't have happened. That didn't happen. I didn't-I couldn't have-!

"I... I died, didn't I?" I slowly turned around, and Baby joined me in staring at the machine behind me. I-I was sitting in the tray right below the spout, and the ground around me was stained in ink just like the two of us.

"You... didn't... did you?"

"... I couldn't just let you die, Marylin. I couldn't." Her arm slipped from my shoulder, and went to grab for my hand.

"You were bleeding out in my arms, smiling like everything was fine because you freed us. Y-you didn't even care what happened to you at that point. But you treated me like a person, Mary. Not a monster like everyone else had. You actually cared, and I-I couldn't let you go."

Her grip hurt a little, but I let her stay there. She needs this, doesn't she? Yes, I-I was mentally torn to bits over everything I went through, and the times of comfort she was able to give me helped pull me along. I... didn't think that... I meant so much to her? Baby... how lonely were you, in this forgotten place?

"I hate Mike, y'know? For leaving this place, while we were subjected to this disaster, but do ya really want him to find out his daughter was murdered in the same place he managed to escape from?"

"You... put me in the ink machine." The idea... that I d... died... it felt surreal. It was lke a bad dream, one that I hadn't fully waken up from. I could recall the fight, and when Beast Baby slashed my neck... but I could barely think straight after that. Everything was a blur, a hazy mess. Bits and pieces were there, but they hadn't been stitched back together. Was this like what happened to Marie, when she was put through the machine? Voices, parts of your memory there and not there? Then... if I was put in the machine... what does that make me?

"Baby, am I a cartoon now?" I brought my other hand to my chest, right where my heart was. There was... no beat. No steady thump. I... don't have a heart.

"What... who am I?"

Baby paused in answering, before releasing my hand to move in front of me. She stood up in between Autumn and Jules, the three watching my soon-to-be reaction. So am I supposed to figure it out myself? The ink had mostly run off me, and I finally got a good look at my arms.

Black skin, just like Autumn's, except my nails were similar to Baby's when he attacked Brute Freddy and the Ink Demon. Long and sharpened claws, that were by no means anything close to human. The blackened skin faded just above my elbows to spots, until my normal pale skin was visible. Tears in my jeans showed the same skin change, and quickly rolling up a pant leg showed it also ended just above my knees. "What... else is there?"

Baby pointed at the top of her head as I rolled the pant leg back down, poking at one of her horns. Slowly, I brought my own hands up, ready to feel nothing but black hair. There was... something on my head. Two somethings, one on either side, and it felt like they came to a soft point. "Are these...?"

"Horns. Black, and by the looks of 'em, and made of ink." I dropped my hands as if they were touching fire.

"If you went into the machine, you'd be just like all the others. Losin' your real form, risked losin' all your memories... risked losin' what made you... you. I... went in with ya, kid. I put myself into the machine to keep you together."

Se did what? The... the warmth. There was... stretching my mind as far back as I could... I remembered something telling me it was all going to be alright. That even in the void, things would be okay. Was that Baby?

"You already know I can't get damaged by the ink."

"So I'm... part Baby?" She nodded. "You did all of that... for me?" Even with the skin change, and the... claws and horns... I was still me. I-I was still me. They came to save me, e-even if they didn't have to. Even... after everything I did to her, she still came back for me. "Th... thank you. Thank you so much."

"Heh. Don't be gettin' all weepy on me, kid. I think we've both done enough of that in the past few hours." I giggled through my own building waterworks, managing to stop them as Baby advised. Autumn walked forward, and grabbed my arm. Gently, she pulled me to my feet, and slung the appendage over her shoulder. My legs were weak, and most of my weight was on her to keep from falling over.

"How did you all get up here?" We were still at the top of the giant machine, and I couldn't recall how Baby managed to get me up there in the first place.

"We found a stairway that led up here, and had to walk across the pipes to reach you." She pointed off to the left, showing a hole in the wall where a large pipe stretched out. "She decided to carry you up the machine itself."

"You... okay. I... guess that makes sense." I didn't deny the small clown was strong, but he must have been using his claws to scale it while still managing to hang onto me. No way was any other method going to allow him to ascend without slipping. "Does that mean... everything's over?"

"Wish it'd be that easy," Baby grumbled. "But I can't see how you're gonna get outta here now. We're at the pit of the entire studio."

"Pit?" I looked at the machine, seeing the chains still attached to it. "Hmm... this thing was at the top floor of the studio, when I first put in the power cells. Couldn't we just use this to bring us back up?" I tilted my head back, and sure enough, I could see the faintest bit of sunlight high above us.

Jules moved over to it, and grabbed a chain to examine it. He nodded to himself, and turned back to Autumn. "You really think so?" He nodded, and pulled out his ax. "Okay. Marylin, get ready."

"Okay." It was awkward, getting me atop the machine, but the four of us soon gathered around the one chain Jules was focused on. "How is this going to work?"

"Cut the chain, and the momentum should fling us back to the surface," Baby replied. She gripped the blackened metal, as the rest of us did the same. Jules' arm was behind him, holding the ax and awaiting the signal. Autumn's arm was wrapped around me, holding me close in case I accidentally fell off. And I really don't wanna be doing that. "Ready?"

He nodded, and brought it down on the hook where it attached to the device that started it all. The bang echoed around the room, and at once, the chain began zooming upwards without anything to weigh it down.

Our combined mass apparently was nothing against the hunk of metal we left behind, being pulled past floor after floor with the rushing wind blowing through Autumn's and my hair. Some spots, as we soared by, I could identify, despite the blurred vision of being hurled upwards.

The giant hole at the end of the tunnel with the hands, the few spots I saw it as I traveled towards Marie and away from William. It was like a rewind button. One giant rewind button, bringing us back to where it all began.

"What happens when we get to the top!?" I shouted over the noise. "We're gonna hit the ceiling!"

"Get ready to jump!" Autumn yelled back. "Here it comes!" I hugged my arm around her tighter, and just as we flew past the final floor, back into the light from far below, we hurled ourselves off of the chain. The metal flew upwards, crashed into the ceiling and shattering part of a beam, before sailing back down into the dark below.

The four of us tumbled across the wooden walkway below the balcony I had stood on days before, knocking over a barrel and sending it rolling to the side. "Is everything okay?"

"My heart is going nuts and I don't even have one," I groaned, rolling into a seated position and staring at the void we just emerged from. "We... we're almost out."

"Just a little bit more, kid." Baby pushed herself to her feet, and this time, Jules went to help me stand up. A box was pushed against a broken part of the railway overhead, and we used it to climb back up to the above floor.

Several solid swings of his ax took down the boards the Ink Demon had put up when I first started up the machine, and we slowly began to wander through the halls. Ink no longer poured down through the busted pipes, but the puddles remained. Soiled posters, and splintering walls and ceiling; everything showed how furious and sudden everything changed. Everything... changes. "Marylin? You doin' okay there?"

"I just... things are going to be different now, the moment I step outside that door." I reached into my pocket, and sure enough, my little Freddy was still there. Soaked in ink from the machine, but nothing some bleach couldn't fix.

"I kept my word, but I... I didn't expect this to happen to me." I was dead. I was speaking, and walking around, but I was in the same boat as Jules and Autumn. I was saved by the machine, but ultimately, it was what killed me in the end.

"Heh... neither did I, kid. Neither did I." The hole I fell through was the only thing separating us from the outside world. Just as it was the last time I had seen it, it remained open the slightest crack, highlighting the dust particles floating lazily in the air.

Autumn backtracked for a moment, and returned with a long plank of wood. She placed it over the hole, and very carefully placed a foot on it to test its stability.

"It should hold." She went across first, only needing two steps to do so. Jules followed, with me right behind him, and an almost reluctant Baby brought up the rear.

"Is something wrong, Baby? I would've thought you'd be the happiest to be out of the studio." I looked down at her face, trying to make sense of her grin.

"I've been in this place for more than thirty years, you know that. I've all but given up on tryin' to get out. By the time I was... this, everyone was gone. All that remained was Michael, the poor saps she killed, and the monsters." Her hand grabbed for my left one, eyes looking at the floor. "... what if Mike doesn't like me anymore?"

"Baby... dad is going to love you." Her head lifted up to meet me, and the grin finally showed actual emotion. Hope and relief, with the small twinge of nervousness. "Well, guys... let's go."

I grabbed the knob, and pulled it open.

Green. The outside was green, full of life, and color. Warm sunlight hit us as we stepped out onto the overgrown path, and I took my time to observe everyone's reactions as the door closed behind me. Closing, and marking the end of decades of nightmares. Autumn looked awed, speechless as Jules smiled at his companion's face.

Baby was equally stunned, looking at the tall grass off to the side swaying in the breeze. The sun was behind the pine trees across the road, but was still high enough to warm us. No more cold. No more fear. We were out. "We're free, everyone. We're finally going ho-"

There was a car. A truck, to be specific, parked right in front of my vehicle along the edge of the road. The sound of a door closing came from the driver's side, and quiet footsteps thumped against the paved road.

"You." Baby hissed the word, and it took me a moment to understand why.

A man, definitely older than my dad stood at the foot of the walkway. He had a slim mustache and thinning grey hair, blue eyes that bore emotions I severely didn't like, and a cane in his right hand.

"Ah. It appears that I was right after all." He had a English accent, and began to slowly make his way towards us. In turn, we did the same. But unlike his small smile, none of us copied the expression. I knew who he was. I knew exactly who he was, and what he did.

"Michael Afton," I all but spat out the name.

"Were you expecting me, or... were you expecting my dad?" He grimaced at the clear venom, knowing from just that one line that I knew what he had done. "Don't bother saying anything to dissuade my anger. I know what you did."

"We all do," Autumn added, crossing her arms. Michael looked over all of us, but his eyes stopped at Baby, stunned. Right. He never knew about her.

Oh, but Baby knew all about Michael, and she had a few choice words for the man. "You left me. You left everyone here, all for yer sick twisted attempts to make it big. Ya drove everyone into the ground, manipulated them, killed them-all ya had to do was accept that things weren't gonna be perfect! But ya didn't like that, did ya? No, you had to have everything as great as it could be! Ya locked me away to rot!" She released my hand, arms shaking at her sides and voice dipping in and out of a lowered octave. Baby... she didn't fully separate from Ink Baby until a fair amount of the workers were dead.

She considers herself in the same boat as she apparently, being put away for so many years.

"And ya have the audacity to come back here after tricking Marylin to clean up your mistakes!" The man was silent through the rant, giving a regretful frown. Thankfully, for his sake, Baby had run out of steam, and crossed her arms just like Autumn with a huff.

"How'd you know we'd be here?"

"Your dad, actually." He directed the reply to me, and I let myself actually be taken back by it. My dad had gone to Joey looking for me?

"Mike had gone around, trying to find out where his daughter had vanished, and eventually came to me. Now, when I found myself being paid a visit, I realized that you had gotten the letter. Told him I'd do what I could to help, and came back up to the old factory." He finally looked away from Baby, giving me a small smile. "You look a lot like your dad when he was your age."

"Bet I get some of his personality from him too." Deep breathes, Mary. As much as you want to punch him, and I bet Baby would love to as well, attacking an old man who can barely walk is not your style.

"Along with the ability to hold a grudge. For a very, very long time. We'll never forgive you for this, you know that, right? I was only doing what had to be done; to bring anyone who wanted freedom away from his nightmare you created." I could go on forever, but I had no words that could even come close to the amount of hatred I held for him.

For what he did to every single one of the people of Afton Robotic. I was just... so... so tired.

"I understand. Mike never forgave me either, and I didn't expect any of you four too do the same. Just know that I'm thankful for what you did." He's not thankful. His eyes held annoyance, and hatred at what I had been able to do. He wanted me to kill the demon-which, yes, I had done-but that was it. He had not expected anyone to come back out.

He had not expected Autumn, or Jules, and especially not Baby to come out with me. Not one bit. He just wanted dad to clear away the 'imperfections' left behind. And Baby... was not an imperfection, no matter how she was created. I didn't want to listen to anything else he had to say any more, as my patience was being tested every second I stood there.

With my head held high, and eyes locked onto what laid ahead, I guided my friends past him towards my ride. I could see Michael begin to shuffle around, making eye contact with the three of them. Honestly, I was amazed Baby was controlling herself so well. If she wasn't so exhausted, she'd more than likely attack the man.

My key, surprisingly, still sat in my pocket in one piece. The car was covered in leaves, but those would come off once I started driving. Autumn climbed into the passenger seat, as Jules and Baby got into the back. The back windows were tinted, which was why I had Autumn in the front. She was the most human-looking out of all of them.

"Buckle in." As I strapped myself in, I looked back at the path. Michael stood in the center of the studio, his studio, watching us prepare to leave. A crooked man with a crooked empire. Now... a sad old man with a building full of regrets. It was a sad sight, but I held no pity for him. He brought this upon himself, and it would weigh upon him for the rest of his miserable, lonely life.

At least one good thing came out of all of this. "Hey, Mary. We goin' or what?" I chuckled, and looked at the mirror to see the demon's excited grin.

"Yeah, yeah." Jules' usual seriousness broke through, giving a pleased smile as he watched me exchange a nod and smile with Autumn while adjusting my mirrors. I finally did it, Freddy. I hope you're proud, wherever you are.

"Time to go home."


	36. Welcome Home

The drive was mostly silent, except for the sound of the demon bouncing in his seat while watching the greenery sail by. I lived on the outskirts of town, and we didn't have any close neighbors, which meant no one was going to see us once we got out of the car.

On the topic of our impending arrival; what was going to happen next, once I got home? How would mom and dad react to them? Two of them were workers from his past, and the other...

"You're stressin' too much, kid." I looked up at the mirror, seeing Circus Baby give me a disapproving look.

"You're fidgetin' in your seat. It's gonna be fine, alright? Relax." Baby paused to think something over, and her grin seemed to tighten.

"And you're not a complete toon either. That's still your body and soul. Ya just got... somethin' different now."

"How did you even know I was thinking about...?" Circus Baby chuckled bitterly, and rested against the fabric of the back.

"Kid, when you think you're half of me, that's a really close answer. I kept you from bein' turned like all the others, and me bein' there with you is what led you to gettin' those horns and... possibly a few other extra stuff we'll figure out along the way. Who knows if you're able to vanish into the ink or not. Anyways, because of that, well... you're part me. A little in the same way I was part of her." She... meaning the Ink Demon.

"Not like I can read your thoughts or anything-that'd be a little too weird-but we're essentially joined together. Certain feelings towards certain things, a bit of a link as to where the other is-why do ya think I always manage to skip out when you-know-who shows up?"

"You're always aware of her... because you originated from her. I take it the same can't be said for her?" I stopped at a stop sign, waiting for the vehicle on the right street to go ahead before continuing my way to the house.

"Yep. I know where she was, but she didn't know that I was just right behind 'em. Now, you don't fall into that category, because you didn't come from the ink. But because of bein' thrown into the machine with me, we're almost one and the same, Marylin." I nodded slowly, letting the words sink in.

"Does that mean we're almost like siblings now?" The house was just ahead, white paint and trimmed hedges and all, and I began to slowly decrease my speed. Autumn, Jules, and Circus Baby were now all looking out the window at the small building, a sharp contrast to the decaying structure they all lived in for the past several decades.

"Um, well... I really don't know," she shrugged, just as I put the vehicle into park. "I'd have to think more 'bout it." Autumn tapped my shoulder, drawing my attention to her.

"Should we all go in at once?" I rolled over the question in my head, and nodded.

"We should. I-I'll go in first, and try to explain things." My left hand, which was still on the steering wheel, gripped it tighter.

"I can... I can do this." I was directing my words to myself, wanting to reassure myself that everything would be fine. I-it would be fine.

"Let's go in, everyone."

I undid the belt, and the others followed suit. Stepping out of my car, I began to slowly trek up the brick walkway to the door. Autumn and Jules were right behind me, with Circus Baby in between them a few steps back.

My hand in a fist was raised to rap on the entrance, before pausing. Instead, I went to take the doorknob, and quietly twisted it open.

The same light wooden floors, the same dark brown couch and matching recliner. The TV was set up across from it, right by the steps leading upstairs with the wooden railing that let me look into the room from high above. The kitchen was in the background, an open entryway with a different coat of paint and black and white tiled flooring.

"... homey." I giggled a little at Autumn's observation, smiling and looking around. It wasn't anything special, but it was home.

A voice came from within the other room, and we could hear footsteps getting closer. Here it comes, Marylin.

"Honey, I'll be back in an hour. I'm going out looking for her again..." a man stood in the kitchen door, mouth slowly dropping open as he stared at us. A tan button-up shirt with the collar folded down and the top button undone, a mess of black hair branching off in small clumps at the top.

A pair of black pants-dress ones, not like the ink-covered jeans I wore-and brown fuzzy slippers. The small strips of grey along the sides of his hair, and the darkened circles showing a lack of proper sleep. "... Marylin?"

"... hi, dad." No one moved, not even when another voice called from within the kitchen.

"Mike, dear? Is something wrong?" A woman appeared right behind him, and her hands went over her mouth in silent shock.

"Hi, mom. I'm... I'm back." The spell, at those words, was broken. Dad rushed forward, and pulled me into a hug, my face being pressed into the crook of his neck. I couldn't see anything, but I could feel his body shake.

"Dad? Are you okay?"

"I'm... fine." He let me go, running a hand through his hair. His eyes, brown just like my own, strayed from me to my other companions. Did he see Baby? He seemed not to be looking down. "What?"

Autumn smiled softly, at seeing how much he was grateful for my return. Yet... there was something else, in that smile. There was the faintest trace of nostalgia in it, and with it, made her words come out partially hesitant. "It is nice to... meet you again, Mike."

"Marie?" She shook her head, same as Jules. "This is..." I could see the gears working in his eyes, looking over the angel and bear as his face morphed into one of horror and sadness. A terrible combination, which I knew exactly what it meant. "He didn't..."

"He did, dad. He used the ink machine. O-on everyone. He-Michael... he lied to every person in there, all for his..." I threw a tired smile at my two taller friends, choosing not to dive any further into the horrors of what I had learned. For my sanity, and his.

"Autumn and Jules helped me escape."

He looked at the two, and I could see it click.

"Autumn and Julian Conner?"

The two said toons glanced at each other, and Jules' blackened cheeks seemed to darken, rubbing the back of his head as Autumn gave him a shy smile. Aw, cute! Were there feelings between them now? Hard to say, really, but they were pretty close when I found them. The two being married in their past lives didn't shock me as much as it could've, and it explained a lot of why Jules was so protective of Autumn.

"How long had I been gone?" With the memory of my broken phone floating in the back of my mind, I had lost any way of trying to communicate with the outside world, and how to keep track of time.

"Ten days," dad quickly replied, the number fresh in his mind. "Marylin, what happened to...?" His eyes finally trailed up to the top of my head, and I noticed that mom had slowly begun to edge out of the kitchen and over towards us.

"Marylin, what did you do?" I fully turned from the small group to face her, and I saw my parents taking in my changed state. Black cartoon arms, sharpened claws, and the horns poking through my own black hair.

I, in turn, took in my mom's appearance. Unlike dad, she didn't have the sleepless look on her face. Her bushy light brown hair brushed at her shoulders, covered in a simple pale blue shirt with sleeves that ended at her elbows. Her dark brown pants brushed at the floor, masking the black slippers covering her feet.

"I... I freed my friends, mom. I saved them, b-but..." her hands wrapped around my own, and pulled me into a hug. A hand was smoothing down my mess of a braid, and I leaned into the warmth. I could tell she was trying not to cry, because even though I didn't say it, she knew what I was trying not to say.

No normal person didn't just gain demon horns, even though Circus Baby was by any means a half demon. After all of it, after everything I had been through... I was hurt, and I had every right to break down in that moment.

"I am so, so sorry, mom. I-I didn't mean to shove you aside over the years, I-I-!"

"Shh... shh... it's okay, Marylin. I'm just glad to have you home." I c-couldn't believe it. After how much our relationship had strained over the years, she still c-cared. After all of the fights, and tears, sh-she still cares. Mom eventually let go, our faces matching with tear-stains.

She tilted her head to the side with a hum of confusion, reached up, and brushed against my cheek before pulling her hand away. "What is...?"

Ink. There was ink on her fingertips. I was crying ink.

"I... I have a lot to tell you. But, um, I-I have someone that you should meet first, dad." I moved away from mom, and back over to the toons and dad.

"Stop hiding behind Jules. I already told you he's going to love you." Slowly, Circus Baby moved out from behind the bear. Dad's face had gone through a ton of emotions in the last few minutes, but the stunned shock that met the nervous clown almost topped his reaction to seeing me after so long.

Circus Baby's black/red shoes squeaked on the floorboards, and she rubbed a hand along the bandage on her arm. "Eh... hiya, Mike."

Dad slowly knelt down in front of her, trying to get a better look as he processed the cartoon/animationic-his creation-standing in front of him.

"Hello, Baby," he softly greeted, giving an uneasy smile. He held out a hand, and while Baby flinched, he stood still as the human placed a hand on his head, right beside the patch covering his damaged eye.

The touch was soft, gentle; just like a father's. Baby sniffed, and just like myself, inky tears began to trip down his face. "What's wrong, old friend?"

"I-I..." Bendy was pulled into a hug, and looked absolutely tiny in my father's arms. His black eyes scrunched up, and he buried his face into the shirt. "Y-you could've... you could've c-come back for us...!" Dad brought a hand up to rest against the backside of the demon's head, as the cartoon's entire being shook with each word.

"Y-you never came back! I ca-can't-don't act like this means we're all buddy-buddy now! Y-you abandoned us! You abandoned me!"

Each word was a wreck, but nothing compared to Bendy himself. Mom was silent, taken aback by the sudden breakdown. The only noises in the house were the crackling of the television in the background, the hum of the heater, and the sobs of the little demon. Baby... she never met dad in person, no, but she knew of him. She knew about everything, and with that knowledge... it hurt. And... and I am there... to pick up the pieces that monster of a man left behind.

I moved forward, and got down on my knees and wrapped my arms around the both of them. It took a moment, before a gloved hand grabbed my arm to keep me in place.

The scrunched up look softened as Baby turned just enough for me to see her face, and her eyes-while still watery-were relieved.


	37. End Credit

The room was bathed in a monochrome glow as I sat snuggled under a navy blue blanket on my bed. The small and boxy television set on my desk thrummed with the electricity it took to run the old tape I had inserted, and after a few quiet seconds, bells filled the air as the title card played. Cookie Cookin'.

Always a classic, no matter what time of the year I played it. Sure, it was by no means anywhere close to Christmas, but it was a cartoon I loved all the same.

"Whatcha watchin' there, kid?" The door creaked open a hair, and the animationic slipped inside. She walked along to the end of the bed, and climbed up alongside me. Gone were the bandages around her arm, as the ink machine had taken care of healing those. However, her eye was still a mess, covered with the fabric she used in the studio itself.

Dad had offered to repair it, but the demon stubbornly refused, never giving an actual answer. When I found her, she said it was easy to fix. Maybe it's a pride thing? I'd probably never figure it out, but I chose not to bring it up.

Jules and Autumn, while living a more relaxed life now than in the decades past, kept their weapons. In the guest room, of course, that mom let them have. She downright refused to have the bear carry his trusty ax around all the time.

Baby still had her plunger in her subspace, and as for me and my pipe... yeah, I was going to try and get a new one. The fear, of being ripped apart a-and being constantly watched... I felt better having something to defend myself.

As for my own appearance... it wasn't that much different than before I was dumped into the ink machine. My arms and legs were black, and I had the h... horns on my my head, with my braid running down my head right in the middle. There were two other things I was unable to note when I had awaken. My lips were black, just like Marie's and Autumn's were. My... eyes though...

They were black. All white had turned to an inky blackness, and what was once brown had altered to the same orange glow of the lost souls of the studio. No pupil to be found. It was just a ball of light in a sea of darkness. When I had gone to the washroom to tidy up, and saw my reflection... it was one I was familiar with, and at the same time... it was a complete stranger.

"One of your old cartoons. Want to join me?" I opened up my blanket cocoon, and Baby joined me inside. Her bobbing head rested against my arm, and we began to watch herself stir the batter in a bowl merrily.

She poured it out onto a baking sheet, tossing the bowl aside. With a loud bang, and chuckles from the two of us, Baby slammed her face down on the ball of dough, flattening it out so that it filled all of the sheet. "That was my favorite part of this tape."

Baby didn't respond, but I saw her eyes flicker from me to her animated self. She peeled away the excess dough around the gingerbread man, letting it hop to its feet and wave with a big smile. Why was it smiling, anyway? It didn't even have eyes and a mouth to begin with.

The cookie laid down, and Baby began to put the tray into the oven. After a few seconds, a ding was heard, mixed in with the jolly music in the background. A puff of white smoke came from the machine as she took the tray out. Much to her confusion, the cookie was gone, as if it were never even there to begin with.

Baby kicked the lid upwards, and finally took notice of Freddy leaning against the counter. The bear was happily eating away at the cookie, not seeing Baby right beside him.

The animationic looked from him to the tray, baffled at how he had gotten her holiday treat without her noticing. The camera zoomed in her disappointed face, before the ending card played, marking the end of the cartoon. The tape came to a halt in a small bang, and I turned off the TV with the remote resting on my legs. She's still silent.

"Baby? Is something bothering you?"

"... you're just... handlin' this so much better than I thought you'd be." Well, that wasn't what I was expecting to hear. "I want ya to be honest with me, okay?" I nodded slowly, and Baby's head drooped.

"What do you plan to do next? You're outta the studio, but... what happens for ya now? You can't go out and get the life you wanted; a job, a family. You're as stuck as the rest of us." I wrapped my arm around him, hugging him but refusing to meet her face.

My initial fear was still there at the surface, but I was trying to smother it. Contain it, for my sake and the sake of everyone else around me. How am I supposed to react, exactly? This, this isn't normal.

"I... you knew that this would happen, when you put me into the machine. You knew that doing so would destroy my future. Baby, I... I'll figure it out. Me, my dad, my mom... a-all of us will figure it out." I sank further into the pillow wall I had built behind me, and Baby followed suit.

"But for now... it's time for be-"

"Mary! Pick up the phone!" We sat upright, hearing my mom's voice from down the hall, no doubt in hers and dad's bedroom. I leaned off the bed to the bedside table, sitting down the remote and picking up the landline.

"I got it!" Clearing my throat, I brought the speaker up to my head. I had been missing for ten days. I had not received a straight answer as to if or how the police were involved, so if anyone was calling for me despite the news I had gone missing... who did my mom think was worth taking this risk? On if I had returned at all, and in my current condition?

"This is Marylin Schmidt speaking. Who is it?"

"Marylin? Oh, thank goodness. I've been trying for the past three days to get hold of you, but Uncle Mike kept saying you weren't here."

Uncle... Mike? Marylin? N-

"Hey, Marylin? What's with the look? You got sorta pale there." I didn't acknowledge his concern, focusing every part of me on the voice on the other side of the line.

"Y-yeah, well... a lot happened recently. Wh-what are you calling me for? I thought you-?" The caller cut me off, nerves evident in their words.

"Look," they started firmly. "I know that the two of us hadn't spoken properly in the past couple of years, but I need someone I can trust. Marylin, you're the only person I can turn too-guys, leave my bookcase alone, now-and I'm at my wits end over here!"

The sudden change in their annoyance confused me, and I unconsciously leaned into the receiver. "O-okay. I-I'll be right over in the morning. Meatly, you swear you'll be fine until I get there?"

"I should be fine. I-!" A loud bang made me flinch away from the phone, and a curse followed immediately on the other end.

"I got to go. See you then." A click, and the dead tone of the conversation coming to an end. With my head still facing forwards, I slowly reached over and put the phone down. The plastic thumped nosily as it missed thrice, but it came to rest in its holder the fourth time.

"Uh, Marylin? You mind fillin' me in on what just happened there?" I felt her poke me, and sharply inhaled through my teeth. "Marylin?"

"Baby... apparently, that thing about doing anything for family... is broader than I thought it'd be." Ah, great.

"Get your plunger on standby in the morning. Things are... about to get interesting."


End file.
